Lord of the Marauders
by Bluedragon312
Summary: Everyone was so busy arresting Harry after the DOM debacle, that only Remus Lupin noticed the snow white Grim come out of the Veil of Death.  Sirius Black is back, and he's had enough of his godson being manipulated. HP/DG/TD pairing, plus one. AU.
1. Prologue Timeless Marauder

Disclaimer: Don't Own Harry Potter. Never Have, never will.

Short Summary: Everyone was so busy arresting Harry after the DOM, that they didn't notice a snow white dog sneak out of the Veil of Death. Sirius Black is back, and he wants payback.

Prologue: Timeless Marauder

Remus Lupin stood by with distress written on his face as Harry Potter was arrested by Aurors for breaking and entering. Lupin couldn't believe it. Harry had done everything in his power to do what he thought was right, and Voldemort had been there! Fudge had seen it, and Dumbledore had dueled him! So why were they pinning everything on Harry?

To say he was pissed would be an understatement. He went back into the Room of Death, and looked at the hanging curtain that was known as the Veil of Death. He muttered, " I'm sorry I can't help Harry, Padfoot."

He was almost too preoccupied with mourning his friends death, as well as Harry's arrest, that he almost didn't notice the snow white dog that was standing next to the Veil. He furrowed his eyebrows, and squinted. The dog certainly looked like Sirius' Animagus form, but everyone knew he was a Grim. Remus began to walk up to it, but the dog began to growl menacingly, and backed up into a corner. Being a beast at heart, Remus knew that there was no more formidable an opponent than one with its back against the wall.

The dog quickly ran out when the door opened to reveal Fudge and Dumbledore. Remus watched aghast as Fudge fired a stunner at it, but the dog swiftly dodged it, ran over, and pissed on Dumbledore's robes. Remus heard Dumbledore mutter, " Damn mutt."

Fudge snapped to Remus, and began to berate him with questions. Remus noticed the dog was standing in the doorway watching…. Then he changed into a human. 

(Sirius)

Sirius stunned both Dumbledore and Fudge. _ Something that most men can never say they've done. Well, stunned Dumbledore. There's about a hundred men who can say that about Fudge. _Sirius the revived thought with a smile. He barked out, " Moony! Come, now! We need to get out of here!"

" What about Harry? Why are you alive?"

Sirius whispered, " All will be answered, we just need to get to Grimmauld Place without anyone seeing us. I'm going back into my new Animagus form, so be a good little werewolf and guide me out of here."

Sirius smiled at the frustration on his friend's face, and shifted back into his new white wolf form. He growled whenever someone came close, even Tonks. Sirius growled even more at Moony, when he showed signs of attraction to his cousin. Remus whispered after the cheerful Auror left, " Really Sirius? Weren't you always telling me I needed to get laid?"

Sirius raised his heckles in response, and acted like he was going to piss on Moony's robes. Lupin chuckled, and continued to lead Sirius out of the Department of Mysteries. Once they were out, and onto the lift, Sirius turned back, pulled out a sheet of paper that Moony recognized as the Marauder's Map, and muttered, _Portus._

" How did you get that from Harry?"

Sirius frowned, " No questions Moony! Not now! We need to get the fuck out of this joint now! _Activate. Grimmauld Avenue Number Twelve._"

Sirius felt the jerk behind his navel, and in a minute, they appeared out in front of Grimmauld Place Number Twelve. Sirius whispered, " Quickly, inside!"

They entered the house with wands drawn, and Sirius slammed the door shut and latched all the locks. He gestured for Remus to have a seat. He did, so Sirius asked, " What do you want to know first?"

" I thought you died. What happened?"

Sirius smiled, " James and Lily were very displeased with me dying so quickly, so they appealed to a Higher Power and had me sent back. My memories were modified so I would now see and remember things I should have already, but for unforeseen circumstances, didn't."

"Like?"

Sirius laughed and summoned a butterbeer from the fridge, " Like when you caught Ron giving Hermione the 'rough end?'"

Moony's face turned blood red, " I'll have you know, that Dumbledore specifically ordered me not to do anything about that particular situation."

" That's the point! We are all being ass raped by Dumbledore. All of us. You. Me. Definitely Harry. All of us. The bastard knew I was innocent and never did anything about it. James and Lily's will specifically said for him NOT to go to the Dursleys! I was there! I saw them write it! Yet where does he go?"

Moony frowned, " I see what you mean Sirius. I've had enough of Dumbledore's shit too. Are the wards still keyed to you?"

" Already taken care of. Dumbass and his Order of KFC are gonna get a hell of a surprise if they try to come here."

Moony chuckled darkly, but changed topics, " Padfoot, what are we going to do about Harry?"

" Unless you've been holding out on me for years, and have some cash stowed away, then nothing. Unless Fudge gives me a Posthumous Pardon, I still can't leave this house unless I'm absolutely certain I won't get caught."

Moony's frown deepened, " Unless he gets replaced, which I doubt since Dumbledore pinned everything on Harry, I don't see that happening. But, I think that a trip to Gringotts may be in store."

Sirius sighed, " I know, Moony. I know, but it's just so GODDAMN FRUSTRATING! They sent me back so that I could finish my task of helping Harry to power, and here I am sitting in a fucking manor while he's sent to Azkaban!"

" His trial is in a month. Until then, he will be kept under house arrest at either the Dursley's or the Weasleys. Aurors Kingsley, Tonks, and Vance will keep eye on him, as well as a whole slew of other members of Dumbledore's Order of the KFC as you put it."

Sirius brightened, " Good, at least we have some time. Moony, I have to do something and you know that. I'm the head of House Black. I can summon our allies."

" Not trying to rain on your parade, but both of your nieces are married to Death Eaters, we all thought that Bellatrix HAD KILLED YOU, and the other parts of the family aren't so nice either. Your aunt Cassiopeia and her husband, Perceus, they might help us."

Sirius sank back, " Good points, Moony, but I wasn't born a Black for no reason. Intrigue for Breakfast, Politics for Lunch, Corruption for snacks, and Manipulation for dinner."

Sirius stood up, and began to use some magicks that Moony hadn't thought he'd known, " I'm adding a few wards to my great grandfather's already very powerful wards. These wards will break all forms of Imperious, Mind Control, Compulsion, etc, when the subject enters the house. It has long been my hunch that Bella was controlled by her husband, Rodolphus, because she was such a sweet girl when she got married, but only a few days later, she's a killing maniac."

" Hmm, I see your point. That is a little suspicious. Guess you were an Unspeakable for a reason."

Sirius smiled, " My good looks?"

Sirius motioned for Moony to follow him to the Family Tapestry. The first thing they both noticed, was that Sirius was back on the tapestry, and he had a little leaf next to it symbolizing he was Lord Black. " Moony, what I'm about to do, only Lord Black can do. I'm calling a House Meeting."

Sirius pulled out his wand, stuck it on his portrait, and shouted, " I, Lord Sirius Orion Black, call forth a Meeting of the Most Noble and Ancient House of Black to take place in exactly ten minutes!"

A shimmer of power went through the tapestry, and touched each living member's portrait, including Bellatrix Lestrange, but not her husband, and the same for Narcissa Malfoy. Moony asked, " Now what?"

Sirius gestured for them to go back down to the foyer, " We wait my friend."

Ten minutes later, the wards pinged as about ten people entered them. They heard some shrieks, and answered the door. Most of the family had their wands pointed at Lestrange and Malfoy, who were both looking lost, but Lestrange in particular. Sirius hissed, " Everyone in! Now!"

The oldest couple entered first, the elderly woman asked, " Sirius? You're Lord Black now?"

" Yes I am, but we don't have time for this. Get inside. I can't have the Aurors or Dumbass picking up on us."

Andromeda Tonks asked, " Sirius? My daughter said you were dead. What happened? Why are my sisters here?"

" Like I told Aunt Cassiopeia, get inside and all will be explained."

Sirius slammed the door with a boom, and latched all the locks. Moony stood in the middle of the family, and Cassiopeia, an elderly witch whose trademark Black hair was now sparkling silver, harassed him, " You're that werewolf filth that Sirius befriended. You don't deserve to be in this house."

Sirius hissed, " I command you to shut the fuck up about Moony, Aunt Cassie."

Narcissa commented, " Dear Sirius, such terrible manners. How did you become Lord Black again?"

Sirius glared at her, before answering, " My father died. Now, on to business. Anyone seen Bella?"

Narcissa pointed, " She's over there, talking to Aunt Walburga like she's never met her before."

Sirius smiled, " So I was right. Bella was under a lot of mind controls when she married Rodolphus."

Cassiopeia stood up again, " I'll have you know that Rodolphus was a fine, upstanding young man when little Bella married him."

" Fine and upstanding alright. He's the reason Bella's one of Voldemort's most feared Death Eaters. But I guess you didn't know that, since you've been living in France."

Cassiopeia sighed angrily, and Narcissa looked at Sirius, " Does this mean you can get our marriages annulled? "

" Indeed, Cissy. I can have it ordered, but we need to get to Gringotts to do it. As you know, neither me nor Bella can be seen in the open or we'll be killed on sight. Maybe worse."

Andromeda was next, " Sirius, what about me and Tonks? Will we be reinstated?"

" Depends on how in love Nymphadora is with Dumbledore. If she's drinking his Kool-Aide and eating his fried chicken, then we may be able to arrange something so that you can be reinstated, but not her. I've enough of Dumbledore's shit."

Cassiopeia snorted, " I was wondering when you'd come around, Sirius boy. I told you long ago that man was nothing but trouble."

" I should have listened to you, Aunt Cassie, but I wouldn't have met James, and so many things wouldn't have happened or they may have been much worse if I hadn't."

Cassiopeia smiled at Sirius, who continued his speech, " I don't want Dumbledore having any access whatsoever to this house or its inhabitants. I take it we all know about Harry Potter?"

Narcissa snorted, " From what Draco says, he is a mediocre wizard at best, with more pride than his father."

Sirius drew his wand and roared, " YOU WILL NOT USE THE LOGIC OF YOUR BRAIN DEAD DEATH EATER SON IN MY PRESENCE!"

Narcissa cowered in front of her head of house's wand. Sirius whispered, " Are we clear?"

Narcissa nodded, so Sirius moved on, " Harry has done more against the stupidity that is Lord Voldemort than everyone in this room and Dumbledore put together. Hell, the boy killed a basilisk of all things in his second year. Second year!"

Cassiopeia laughed, " Now there is something I can respect. But how do we know you are telling the truth."

" Because Sirius owes Potter a Life debt for saving his ass from Dementors. He drove off over a hundred of the things. I read the later reports too, some of them were never accounted for." Moony answered. Narcissa muttered, " Impossible. Snape and the others all said that Dumbledore put blocks on him."

" Snake is telling the truth, Cissy."

Moony looked at Sirius oddly, " Sirius? You always call Severus Snivellus remember?"

" I haven't always. It was something that was eventually ingrained in my mind by the Headmaster. He got over that little prank that almost caused him to get killed, but let us just say that our good Headmaster had a little help in making all of us hate him. I imagine he's under the Imperious or something."

Cissy screeched, " Then we have to help him!"

" He is not a member of House Black, so it is beyond my power to help him. Maybe if you had been a better friend of his when he was in school instead of one of those stereotypical Slytherins, certain things would never have happened."

Narcissa sank back in her seat again, looking depressed at the statement Sirius had made. Sirius looked please, hers wasn't the only ego that was going to get taken down a notch here and today. Sirius shouted into the other room, " Bella! Come here please!"

They were all surprised when the deranged Death Eater came walking in. Sirius asked, " How old are you?"

She floored them with their answer, " Sixteen."

Sirius looked at Moony with his usual look of superiority. Moony sent him the finger. Andromeda asked, " What is the last thing you remember?"

" Being upset because Mother told me I was to marry Rodolphus Lestrange."

Sirius' smug look only got smugger as Bella revealed that he was absolutely correct in all matters. Moony just shook his head as Cassiopeia asked," Well, Sirius, what are we going to do about Potter going to Azkaban? Breaking him out is stupid, and hiring a law team in his name would only reveal you're still alive."

Sirius smiled, " Care to help us Narcissa?"

Narcissa looked up, " Yes. I can use Lucius' money to bribe Fudge into overruling Dumbledore's rulings. We can call in old debts to force certain houses, like the Greengrasses, to side with us. We certainly need to eat away at Dumbledore's power base. Along the way, I'll see what I can do to get you pardoned as well. That way you can claim your seats in the Wizengamot as well."

Sirius smiled, " Sounds like we got ourselves a plan! By the power vested in me as Lord Black, I order you to carry out this mission as granted to you by Lord Black!"

A small, black flash hit Narcissa, and she got up, bidding them farewell, and left to get to it. Sirius turned to Andromeda, " I need you to be loyal to me. After all, you are my favorite cousin."

Andy shrugged, " I'll see what I can do, but I can guarantee you that Dumbledore will want to know what happened tonight. In fact, his medallion has been burning since before you called the meeting."

" Then by the power of Lord Black, go! But you mustn't tell him anything! I want my survival to be an unpleasant surprise for him."

Cassiopeia stood up, " Well, me and Perseus need to get running as well. Anything you require of me?"

Sirius thought for a moment, " I will need all the information you have on Dumbledore, Minerva McGonagall, and several others. If you've still got that black book from your days as a diplomat, now would be a good time to use it."

She produced a journal that was larger than a Bible from her bag, " Of course, Lord Black. I shall leave this for your enjoyment. May this endeavor fare well for us."

" Et Sanguis Semper Purus."

She was mildly shocked at Sirius' use of the traditional Black farewell, which was Latin for _May our blood always be pure._ Sirius laughed, and moved her along. Moony asked as she left, " So, we have a plan now?"

" We've only got a month for this Moony, but it will have to work! I won't let my godson rot in my prison cell! We have a visit to make to the Burrow."

0987656789098765456789

(Harry)

Harry fumed in the cage that sat outside of the Burrow. He silently prayed that someone would help him, but he knew that help was unlikely to come. _Damnation! Why did I have to do exactly as Voldemort wanted? I should have known better than to use the visions. Damn it! Damn it all!_ Harry angrily thought as he punched the side of his cage. He clenched his fist in pain, but it subsided quickly. _They are making a huge mistake. If I ever get out of here, there will be payment, and that payment will be in blood!_ Harry raged, but then caught himself. _Since when have I wanted to kill someone? Damn you Voldemort! You won't get me like that again!_

" Harry! Quit wallowing in your guilt and talk to us man!"

Harry looked over the edge of the cage, and saw Remus Lupin with what looked like a White Grim. " Leave me alone! I don't need you tormenting me Professor!"

" Harry! Shut up and listen to Moony! We're only trying to help you!"

Harry scrambled back over at the familiar voice, and saw Sirius standing beneath the cage. _Oh God, Voldemort's really got me now. I'm seeing and hearing Sirius, and he's DEAD! Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit…._

" Harry, stop brooding and talk to us man! "

Harry tried to whisper, " First off, I don't know who you're playing, but Sirius is dead so get out of his body, and Second of all: You aren't supposed to be here! They'll arrest you, Professor! Go now!"

Sirius summoned a bunch of bodies, " Oh, you mean these guys? Shit. They don't give a man like me any trouble."

Harry laughed, but caught himself, " I still don't believe you. I saw Sirius fall through the Archway, and I know that he is dead! I don't know what you're playing at Professor, but if you don't stop, I may have to force you to stop."

" Harry, stop. It's really me! Sirius Black, in the flesh! Really!"

Harry sighed, " If so, then answer this. What device did you and your three friends create while you were in Hogwarts, list their Names and animagus forms."

Sirius sighed angrily, but answered, " We created the Marauder's Map in our fifth year. James Potter is Prongs, Remus Lupin is Moony, I'm Padfoot, and Peter Pettigrew is Wormtail. James' Animagus form was a Stag, Lupin is a Werewolf, Mine used to be a Grim, and Peter's was a Rat. Peter was really the Potter's secret keeper, but he betrayed us all to Voldemort. There, happy?"

Harry's heart lightened, " It really is you Sirius! But why are you here?"

" Me, Remus, and the Black Family are working to get you out of this snare! Dumbledore set you up like a tent, and now he wants your money. He seems to think you are getting too powerful, or according to Moony at any rate, and he wants you under his control. By using your accidental use of an Unforgivable on Bella to send you to Azkaban, he plans to get you back under his wing. Don't ask about Bella by the way, we found out something interesting about her."

Harry scowled, " Like how she's completely off her rocker?"

" No, not at all! She's actually very sane, and has been under the Dark Lord's Imperious for almost ten years. She still thinks she's sixteen Harry!"

Harry fell back. That changed his perception a little, but he would have to see to believe this one. Sirius continued, " We've got Narcissa and Cassie working on bribing the shit out of Fudge to get both me and you off the hook! And we are calling in some old debts that were owed to House Black, just in case this ends up going to court anyway. Plus Moony has a grudge with Ms Umbridge."

Harry muttered, " Don't we all?"

Sirius noticed Tonks beginning to stir, " Alright Harry! We've gotta get the fuck out of here now! Don't tell anyone about this! No one! Don't make eye contact with Dumbledore or Snape unless I tell you that you can! "

Harry nodded, and they both disapparated. Harry frowned as Tonks angrily muttered, " Damn my back."

Harry shouted, " Maybe if you weren't so damn clumsy, your back would hurt so damn much?"

He laughed as she fired a hex at him. _Well, I guess I have to put my faith in Sirius this time. I hope it works._

A/N: Thought the exact pairing is your typical Slytherin pairings ( HP/DG/TD) with another tag along, that's not introduced for a few chapters. Just letting you know….

_**Rune Reader Note:**_ I decided to get rid of those two newest chapters, and completely rewrite them. Keep that in mind for those who read that as well.


	2. Chapter 1 Marauder for the Ages

Chapter 1 Marauder for the Ages

A/N: Timeline notice. This chapter takes place a week or so after the last one. Due to a plot hole in the actual Series, we aren't ever told exactly when Ron, Hermione, and the others get out of medical care. Due to magical medicine, reasons described at the end of the chapter, and Dumbledore himself, I'm placing recovery time at one week.

A week or so later, Sirius wrote to his Vault manager, Grimbane, at Gringotts. The missive he got back was short and sweet.

"_Lord Black,_

_ It's about time you contacted us about your Vaults. Please tap this letter with your wand, and mutter, Tojours Pur, and it will take you to Gringotts. _

_ Have a nice day!_

_ Grimbane."_

Sirius frowned as he said the Black Family motto, and felt the familiar tug of a Portkey. He landed in front of Grimbane's desk. Grimbane was a particularly evil looking Goblin who had serviced the Blacks for almost a century. He sneered, " Welcome, Lord Sirius Black. I guess you are here to claim your heritage?"

" If it is possible without the Ministry giving me a full pardon."

The goblin said fiercely, " Spare me, Lord Black. If you had been in any way obstructed by those false charges, then you wouldn't even be able to live in that house of yours. You need only place a drop of your blood on this paper."

Sirius pulled out his knife, and pricked his middle finger, and letting it hang over the paper. The blood dripped onto the paper, and the paper glowed golden. Grimbane smirked, " Good, now we can discuss Lord Potter."

" I got a bad feeling about this. Let me guess: You want to see if I'm responsible for Dumbledore taking a lot of his money?"

Grimbane was taken aback, " Actually, no we didn't, though we are glad you brought this to our attention. Guardsmen!"

The armored guards standing in the corners walked over, " Go to Lord Ragnok, and tell him that we need to begin an investigation of Manager Griphook on terms of fraud. Tell him it's the Potter Vaults. Go now!"

The guards pressed their fists to their chests in salute, and hustled off. Grimbane smiled, which Sirius knew wasn't a good thing, " Actually, we wanted to see exactly why you haven't claimed guardianship over him. I'm correct in assuming that Dumbledore had something to do with this?"

" He is the reason for a lot of things, Manager Grimbane."

" Cunning for a human, Lord Black." Manager Grimbane conceded with a glare, " But we have never been able to catch him. Dumbledore is a slippery old man. If we were allowed, we would use much more vulgar terms to refer to him."

" I can understand. I can't bear to hear anything nicer than Old Bastard myself."

Grimbane shifted, " Well, are we correct in assuming that you faked your death in the hopes that you would get a posthumous pardon from the Ministry?"

" Let that be the official story. The real one is too unlikely for Gringotts."

Grimbane smiled again, " Well, the Will was to be presented today. A private viewing to those mentioned in it. Given that you're still alive, it won't matter. Given the circumstances behind that Will though…. Nevermind, would you like to go see all the troubled little human faces?"

" Indeed I would. Got a good disguise?"

Grimbane called for one of his guards, " Tell the guards that Lord Black is permitted to transform back and forth into his Animagus form so long as he stays in our sight."

Sirius cheered, " Lead on then!"

He turned into his snow white Grim form, and followed the Goblin into Inheritance room. Sirius growled when he saw all the people there. There definitely weren't supposed to be that many people here! He wanted everything to go to Harry! Grimbane whispered, " Your assumptions are correct, Lord Black. Your Will has been tampered with. We will get down to an investigation about it."

Sirius surveyed the crowd, and saw Harry in a cage guarded by about ten Aurors. Harry winked at Sirius. Sirius wolfed one time, and drew some attention to himself. But all the people, especially Narcissa, who was sitting with Draco up front, were able to pass him off as being the guide dog for Grimbane. Grimbane chuckled at that, for his sight was perfect, though he was old.

Director Ragnok jumped up to the podium, announcing, " We will now initiate the Private Viewing of the Will of Lord Sirius Orion Black, as dictated exactly one month before he died. We warn all present that any magic performed in front of us that has not been approved before hand, as well as any fighting, will result in your death. Am I clear?"

The crowd nodded. A projection of Sirius came forth, shouting in a loud voice,

"_ I, Sirius Orion Black, being of sound Mind and desirable Body, do hear by issue this Will to be valid. _

_ To Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore, I leave my houses and properties to use for the War against the Dark Lord. I also leave over a million galleons. It is for the Greater Good._

_ To Molly Weasley: I leave three million galleons as a thank you for helping Harry all these years. I am deeply ashamed that I was never able to help him myself._

_ To Ronald Weasley: I leave the sum of eight hundred thousand galleons for giving Harry a friend he could trust. Thank you._

_ To Hermione Jane Granger: I leave the Black Library, and the sum of one million Galleons to help her along the way of becoming the brightest witch of her age._

_ To Remus Lupin: I leave nothing. You've never deserved anything."_

At this, Sirius howled in anger, but was disregarded. Ragnok continued ordered the projection to continue.

" _To Nymphadora ( Ha! I can say your name!) Tonks: I leave you everything I was going to leave Remus. He needs to get laid something bad._

_ To Narcissa Malfoy: I expel you from the Black Family._

_ To The Weasley Twins: I leave you five million galleons each for the store._

_ To Minerva McGonagall: I leave you eight hundred thousand galleons for the restoration of the Quidditch Pitch and to get some new brooms. The current ones are terrible."_

Sirius didn't even pay attention to the rest of the false will. It was already everything he could do to keep from growling at the least, and keep from transforming in the middle of the crowd to denounce the Will at most. The end was about Harry.

" _To Harry James Potter: I leave everything that is left to you, my godson. I know it probably isn't much, but no one survives better on less than you. I wish you luck in the battle against Voldemort. Good luck with your love life as well!"_

Ragnok paused while most of the beneficiaries celebrated. Narcissa, Moony, and Harry were all stoically looking forward at Ragnok. Ragnok shouted, " We of Gringotts have performed an investigation and have rendered this Will to be Invalid!"

It took a moment for the words to set in, and even then, it took Moony using Mob Psychology, " Damn right it is! The Padfoot I knew would never issue a Will this Biased!"

The crowd tittered nervously. Ragnok came back in, and silenced them, " We have discovered that Lord Black had been under the control of several charms during the forging of this Will. In accordance with the Goblin-Wizard Treaty of 1289, this is an offense punishable by the pain of death. However, in the Treaty of 1845, this penalty was reduced to a fine of over a million galleons, and the invalidation of the Will. An investigation as determined the source of this manipulation."

Sirius never thought of goblins as being dramatic creatures, but to see Ragnok pause dramatically, and to watch the crowd's reaction was priceless. Again, the only people not showing any nervousness, were Narcissa, Moony, and Harry. Ragnok began again, " We have determined that the source of this treachery to be Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore, and by association, Nymphadora Tonks, the Family of the Weasleys, sans Frederick and George, and one Hermione Jane Granger. By the Treaty of 1845, the parties found guilty will now pay a fine equal to the value given to them in the invalid Will. If unable to pay, then Gringotts will garnish all wages at a rate of 60% until paid back."

Harry sat down in his cage, Sirius noted. He looked like he was crying, but he was really laughing his ass off. Sirius watched as the Weasleys, sans Fred and George, all shrieked in anger. Hermione looked like she had been kicked in the gut and spat on in the face. _Serves you gold diggers right!_ Thought Sirius with more than a hint of vehemence. He looked at Moony, who was laughing at Tonks, who was rather depressed herself.

Narcissa was smiling, apparently proud that her Gryffindor Cousin had finally found his Black Side. Ragnok announced, " We have determined that Dumbledore and Ms. Granger are able to pay for their monetary portents of the Will. They will suffer no other penalties other than that they will not longer have the good faith of Gringotts in business, ", Sirius chuckled at the sigh of relief coming from Granger. She really didn't know much about the Wizarding world. Gringotts was the one place you definitely wanted on your side, " But the Weasleys have been found to be unable to pay. As a result, they will be garnished even more so than they already are. We would also like to announce that Gringotts as placed the Potter Vaults into Protective Stasis. Thank you for your time."

Sirius howled in triumph, and the Director walked by him, patted him on the head, muttering, " A trick worthy of the Goblins, Lord Black,", and walked off. Grimbane muttered, " Is that all our business for today?"

Sirius bobbed his head, and the Goblin muttered, " Good day, may your gold always flow."

After everyone cleared out, Sirius transformed back into a human in front of Remus and Narcissa. Moony shouted, " That was damn good right there Sirius! The look on Tonks' face was priceless!"

Sirius muttered, " I can't believe _Tonks_ of all people was selling me out. I mean, my _own family_!"

Andromeda was distraught, " I'm so sorry Sirius, I had no idea what my daughter was doing. I can't believe Nymphadora would even try something like this! This is punishable by decades of Azkaban time. Not years, DECADES."

Sirius muttered, " Don't worry, Andy. I found a way to bring you back into House Black without bringing Nymphadora into it, but you won't like it."

Andy sobbed, " How?"

" You and Ted will have to have your Marriage voided. Only then can I bring you in. Because you were thrown out of House Black, I can't exercise my normal ability to void the contract. Well, we need a spy in the Order of the Phoenix anyway, so I guess you can do that."

Andy cheered slightly at that. Moony frowned, however, " Padfoot, we need a name. Something we can talk about, but they won't know what we're talking about."

Sirius laughed, " We are the Order of the Blacks. Just call us the Order when around Dumbledore and his cronies."

" I never gave you much credit for being creative, but that actually sounds good, Sirius."

They didn't notice a batty looking fellow watching them in the background. Severus Snape made a note to stop by Grimmauld Place later.

Sirius turned around, and saw the new Temporary Manager for Harry's Vaults. The new goblin, one ominously named Direhit, barked, " Give us a minute Lord Black. The events of the Will Reading has given us Due Course to investigate the Potter Finances."

Sirius smiled as his little ploy was beginning to work. Dumbledore wasn't going to know what hit him. But then Sirius got a shock.

" Lord Black, it appears that there were several last minute withdrawals from the Potter family Vaults. Due to the nature of the withdrawals, there is nothing that we can do to recover the entire amount. But we can recover roughly forty percent. We determined that the money went into Fake Vaults, and was distributed as cash."

Sirius cursed, getting a reprimand from the Goblin, " Well, how much is left?"

" Of the nearly five hundred million galleons, only about two hundred thousand remain. This is an offense of the utmost degree, but do to 'error's by the accounting, we have only been able to track down two or three million. Luckily, all the business documents and artifacts still remain. You may peruse the important ones if you like. We will have to bring them up here, as only a Potter can enter the Potter Vaults."

Sirius nodded. The Goblin Manager left to personally retrieve the documents, and Sirius was left in the presence of the Goblin King/Director Ragnok. Sirius had met Ragnok when he was Goblin Prince, and Vice Director. Ragnok was a regal goblin, almost as tall as an ordinary human, he also lacked the normal distorted appearance that made normal goblins so distasteful to look at. Ragnok frowned, " The acts inflicted upon the Black and Potter estates will not go unpunished. "

Sirius nodded formally, " I should hope so, Director Ragnok. The Potters have been one of Gringotts' traditional customers since the bank was being run out of a cave next to the Thames. "

Ragnok nodded, looking rather upset, an impressive showing of emotion for the ruler of the Goblins, " It is only my wish that we had the power we once had. As a Black, you likely know that the latest Goblin treaty significantly restricted our punitive abilities."

" Yes, my great-great grandfather was one of the chief negotiators for the Wizards. I recall my grandfather Arcturus tell me and my cousins the stories of how disgusted he was with his fellow negotiators. He called it, " An atrocity that spits upon the values of peace.'"

Ragnok chuckled, " An adequate description, as is how my grandfather described it himself. Oh, look, Direhit is back. I'll let him read it, and then laugh at the looks of outrage that are sure to come."

Direhit bowed to the Director, and sat what he judged to be the most important documents on his desk. Sirius picked up the first one, which was the Title Deed to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Not surprising, the Potters had a history of Quidditch players. The next was a deed to Flourish and Blotts, the Potters owned almost seventy five percent of the company due to Anderson Blott's untimely death.

The third was a deed to the Three Broomsticks, which was being run as a leased business by Madame Rosmerta. There were many other profitable ones as well. Sirius was surprised that Harry hadn't already made all the money Dumbledore had stolen back double-fold last month, but then he saw the Ledger.

The Ledger was an infuriating piece of paper. It showed that Dumbledore had placed loans, liens, garnishes, and other monetary limiters on the Potter Vaults. He had been redirecting the profits for almost twenty years. Not only did this indicate that Harry was in Dumbledore's pockets, but so had James. Sirius was almost surprised that the Potters weren't broke.

" Lord Black, Lord Potter's grandparents were exceptional stock brokers, and handled their money on their own. Only after their deaths was the majority of the Potter fortune placed back into Gringotts. It is unsurprising, given Lord Dumbledore's history of money laundering. We suggest you move to these documents now,", Direhit gestured at a smaller stack of papers. Sirius picked the first one up, and almost fell out of his seat. He almost shouted, " Marriage Contracts? I thought everyone quit using these!"

Ragnok laughed, " Apparently not, Lord Black. You had one yourself, one with Maria Davis, but due to your stay in Azkaban, it was negated. Well, not negated. It activated a Next in Line Clause. Since Lord Potter is also blood related to you via his Grandmother, he is your Next in Line. He is contracted for Tracey Davis. Lord Davis was notified of this the day you were sent to Azkaban. Lord Potter SHOULD have been notified, but we have reason to believe that he wasn't."

Sirius picked up the next document, and saw a bunch of red X's on it. He inquired, " What's up with this one?"

Direhit took a look, and shook his head, " That one was negotiated by Lord Dumbledore. Since Lord Potter is the youngest and Last In Line of the Dumbledore Line, Lord Dumbledore was obligated to create a Last in Line Contract…"

Sirius broke in, " Wait, you want to run that last part by me again?"

" Lord Harry James Potter is the Last in Line for the Dumbledore Line. His great-great grandmother was the youngest sister of Dumbledore's Father."

Sirius was dumbfounded, "Well, Harry's going to piss a bitch when he finds this out. So who was it for?"

" Ginevra Weasley. But we negated the Contract a long time ago, because we discovered how biased it was toward the Weasleys. Lord Dumbledore was very upset at this, but decided not to try to negotiate a new contract."

Sirius frowned, " Wait a second. We aren't talking about Albus Dumbledore are we?"

" Lord Aberforth Dumbledore expressed his concern that you would think that his brother was responsible for the contract. He would like Lord Potter to know that he is leaving all of his land to him. He also hopes that Lord Potter likes goats."

Sirius laughed numbly, before picking up the next one. This one was a really old contract, one for the Greengrasses back when they were a new house. " It appears that the Greengrasses never fulfilled this contract."

" The Greengrasses have long been a house known for producing male heirs, same with the Potters. As a result, the circumstances for this contract were never met. Until now. Lord Darrien Greengrass was well aware of how he seemed to be cursed into having only daughters, so he sought to activate this contract as soon as possible. "

Sirius chuckled, " Well, I guess I'm going to have to teach Harry the Sirius Way of Love. The boy's never been particularly active, if you know what I mean."

Ragnok injected, " Unlike his godfather."

Sirius nodded to the Goblin King, " As my old friend points out, yes. Very much unlike his godfather and even his father. I believe it has something to do with his abusive childhood. He's only close with a select few, and most of those select few were just penalized by Gringotts for forging my Will. I imagine he is only fearing the worst now."

Sirius picked up the last contract, " Well, this is problematic."

Ragnok sneered, " Is that the Delacour one?"

" Yep. This says eldest daughter, but isn't Fleur engaged to Bill Weasley?"

Ragnok frowned deeply, " Unfortunately, yes she is. She was a very promising Arithmancer, but she will likely be a housewife now. We goblins know the history of the Weasleys like the back of hands and the pommels of our swords. Weasley wives are always homemakers, period. But if you are interested, it appears that Ms. Delacour owes a debt to Lord Potter. Perhaps something to keep in mind later?"

Sirius nodded, " But now what about this contract? If it had been negated, then it would have red X's all over it like the Weasley one did. I guess it means that now Harry's contracted for Gabrielle?"

Direhit muttered, " It would seem so. This will be extremely problematic, so I hope your Godson is ready for his first dive into the role of being a Lord. As you know, these contracts only have a certain Grace Period to allow for negation. I would surmise that the Delacours forgot about it, and by the time the Grace Period ended, they didn't realize it still existed."

Sirius took all four of the contracts, including the negated one, and told Direhit, " Do as best you can to remove all those blocks on income. If possible, pull a Dumbledore and redirect them to a Vault for someone named James Black. I opened it a few years ago so I could smuggle some money to survive on after escaping Azkaban."

Ragnok nodded, " Very well, Lord Black? Fare well, and may your gold always flow."

" May your profits always grow, Director Ragnok, Manager Direhit."

With that, Sirius left Gringotts.

987654657890-987654356789

( Ron, Hermione, Ginny)

" I can't believe those filthy Goblins! That's our money! We worked hard for it!"

Hermione scowled, " Ron, we didn't work at all for that money. That's just Dumbledore trying to pay us back for turning Harry in."

Ginny was even worse, " Yeah, because you and Ron would have died if you hadn't. You remember! "

Ron and Hermione looked worried. They indeed remembered.

_Mini-Flashback…._

_ " Ms. Granger, where is Mr. Potter?"_

_ Hermione was choking on her own blood as she tried to breath, but Dumbledore only allowed Madame Pomfrey to use enough healing magic to keep her alive, " I don't know. He went on."_

_ Dumbledore frowned, " I'm sorry Ms Granger, I don't think you understand the question. Where is Mr. Potter?"_

_ " H-H-Harry went onward. I think, I think he's in the room with the curtain thingy in it."_

_ Dumbledore was momentarily satisfied, saying, " Increase the healing a little, Poppy. We need more. Now, Ms. Granger, I'm going to ask another question. Did Potter cast a certain Crucio on Bellatrix Lestrange?"_

_ " How the Argh! should I know?"_

_ " Give her a little more incentive, Poppy."_

Realtime…

Both Ron and Hermione shuddered at the very thought. Ginny decided to change topics, " So, when did you two suddenly find the chemistry?"

Ron jumped at the sudden change in subject, " Right after Potter sent that last letter before Moody went after him. "

Hermione looked at Ron fondly, " Yes. And what a fine night it was too."

" Until Lupin found us."

" But Dumbledore ordered him not to punish us for some reason. He ordered him not to tell your mom either."

Ginny frowned, " That isn't like Lupin. Speaking of which, he didn't react at all when that Will said he wasn't getting anything. Like he knew about the whole thing and was just playing along. Especially since he knew exactly when to say something and get the maximum effect out of it."

Hermione shrugged, very unusual for the resident bookworm, " Well, he was the brains of the Marauders…."

Ginny seemed to think, " And didn't it strike you odd that a Goblin had a guide dog? That dog was snow white, but otherwise, it looked just like Sirius' Animagus form."

Ron let out a small whoop, " I noticed that too! The dog growled and howled through the whole thing. Like it was Sirius coming back to get vengeance for the whole thing! "

Harry overheard this, and thought, _You have absolutely no idea, you traitorous filth. Same for you, bucktoothed wench. Don't screw with the Blacks, for it always comes back to fuck you._

Hermione was complaining now, " And I was so looking forward to getting into the Black Library too! "

" Well you can just dream on, Bushy!"

Ron looked up at Harry's cage, " Shut the fuck up, Convict-Who-Lived!"

" Is that all you got? Hey Ronald! Is Granger as bushy 'down there' as she is up top?"

Ron sighed in anger, as Hermione blushed blood red, leading both Ginny and Harry to believe that she was indeed as bushy "down there" as she was up top. Ginny chuckled, but Harry rounded on her, " Oh don't you laugh, Ms. Fireball! Ever heard the expression, ' Fire crotch?'"

Both Ron and Ginny turned the famous Weasley red. Harry continued to laugh as he tried to come up with new things to bother the piss out of his old friends. " Hey, what happened when the gingers went into the bar?"

" Enough Potter!"

" Hey Hermione? Wanna see what a real dick looks like?" Harry shouted as he acted like he was unbuckling his pants. Ron turned even redder as Harry continued, " Because we all know Ron don't got a dick. He's got a pussy!"

Ron drew his wand, but Hermione held his arm with a, " Don't ! It's what he wants!"

Ron grumbled, but put his wand away. But Harry smelt blood, " Hey Ron? Is your mom really a guy, because it sure seems like she has the dick in your parents relationship. Or maybe she has both?"

Ron gritted his teeth, and Harry could see that Ron was getting close to boiling point. Harry shouted at them, " Hey Ron? How's the love potions brewing? We both know there's no way Hermione would go with a little dick like you!"

Hermione returned fire this time, " Harry James Potter! Shut the Fuck Up!"

Harry laughed, " You gonna have to do better than that, Bushy!"

" STOP CALLING ME BUSHY!"

" Why? You are bushy, in apparently more than one area. Your legs as bushy?"

Hermione drew her wand in fury and fired a Blasting Hex at the Cage, knocking it off the hinges, and knocking the door open. Harry yelled, " Sucker!", as he threw his Invisibility Cloak on and disappeared. Hermione lowered her wand in shock, muttering, " What did I just do?"

Order Meeting

" POTTER DID WHAT?"

Remus cringed as Dumbledore screamed at Hermione and Ron. Granger struggled to answer, " H-H-he escaped."

Dumbledore threw his hands into the air, " OF ALL THE THINGS TO HAPPEN!"

Lupin sneered on the inside as Snape did so outwardly, " It appears that the 'Brightest Witch of Our Age' is not so bright."

Ron rounded on Snape, but the cold glare on the batty man froze Ron in his tracks. Lupin took up the banner, " Yes, if she is the brightest witch of our era, than we are doomed."

Moody growled, at a misty eyed Hermione, " Keep yourself together Missy. Failure begets failure, and I'm sitting in a massive den of it."

McGonagall scowled at Moody, but Flitwick laughed openly at him. Lupin wrote on his notes the reactions that each Phoenix Member made. If they were positive, like Flitwick's or Moody's, then it may be possible to recruit them to the Black Order. McGonagall was out of the question. She was either too deluded, or too stupid to realize the truth in the accusations leveled on Dumbledore.

Remus was writing when Snape passed him a small letter, " _Meet me outside"_

Remus nodded. Dumbledore was having a hissy fit, so he called the meeting early again. Snape and Lupin went outside, and Snape immediately whispered out, " I'm done with Dumbledore's stupidity. I owe him so much, but he doesn't do anything. Where is Black?"

" Black is at Grimmauld Place. He said he wanted to meet you there."

Snape nodded, and saw some movement in the bushes to the left of the small building they had been using as a new HQ after Bill Weasley had almost lost his head trying to Apparate to Grimmauld Place. Snape fired a stunner bush, and muttered, " Keep quiet Potter. I'll get you to Grimmauld place."

( Grimmauld Place, three hours later)

" So, when is Snake going to get here?"

Moony frowned, " I don't know, Padfoot. He just said he was coming by later at the Order meeting. Apparently, Harry decided to take some anger out on his former friends. He was able to successfully goad Ms. Granger into attacking his cage and setting him free. They still don't know where he's at."

Sirius laughed, " I trust that Dumbledore is 'disappointed' with Ms. Granger?"

" He is most disappointed. By the way, I got word for you. Check the paper."

Remus handed Sirius the Daily Prophet, with the screaming headline, _**Sirius Black Posthumously Pardoned!**_

Sirius shouted, " YES! I knew it! I knew it would happen! Now, to take advantage of it…"

Moony chuckled, " Going to go buy a whore?"

" Fuck no! Well, maybe later. But I need to get Harry a legal team now!"

Just then, the wards pinged, " That must be Severus!"

Sirius opened the door, and was greeted with a stunned sight. Severus Snape was pulling Harry Potter. Potter was obviously stunned, but had his Invisibility Cloak on. Sirius smiled, " Welcome back Snake."

" You too, Black. Now, get this boy on the couch, so that we can start working on his case. Nice wards by the way. Sorry for being such an ass for all those years, but I needed a job that didn't involve cooking for the Dark Lord."

Sirius chuckled, " Well, I was in Azkaban, so I can firmly say I know how you feel. I'll check the ward list later, to see how many compulsion charms Dumbass had you under."

Moony slammed the door shut and locked all the locks. He had a feeling that the fun was only just beginning.

A/N: Harry escaped and is now a wanted convict. Next chapter is Sirius and his aunt teaching Harry how to be a True Blue Black. Includes Sirius " Duke of Love" Black.

**Timeline:** The next few chapters take place over a time of Five Years.

**Magic Medicine:** In an age where magical medicine can basically cure anything, and only Hermione ends up going to St. Mungo's, isn't it interesting that we aren't ever told how long it took for them to recover? Given Snape's abilities with the Dark Arts, and that he probably invented Dolohov's curse, he was probably able to heal them quicker once they were placed at Hogwarts.

**James Black:** Well, Harry can't go to school as a wanted fugitive can he?

**Canon Pairings:** No one kill me for them ok? But there are a couple of canon pairings, if only temporary in this story. The two most important ones are Bill/Fleur, and Ron/Hermione. Harry the Wedding Crasher is an important part of him making his own side in the Harry VS Voldemort VS Dumbledore Triple Threat Match, and gaining followers.

**Gringotts:** I decided that this wouldn't be one of those stories where the Goblins discover that Dumbledore's been Leeching off of Harry, and suddenly, they can basically kill him. I deliberately made it so that they could only reclaim a portion of the lost money, and that there was a Treaty that forbade execution for tampering.

**Wedding Contracts:** The Contracts in this one are either so old that no one remembers them, or they were made in a pinch, and the makers had no intent of fulfilling them. Harry intending to fulfill them, once he finds out, is a big part of this story.


	3. Chapter 2 Learning to Be Black

Chapter 2 Learning to be Black

A/N: Replying to some issues concerned reviewers brought up.

**Bold Type = French** Nothing seems to piss readers off more than untranslated French or Google Translate French, so I'm just going to put English in bold typing. Google Translate is great for Spell Crafting though, so other writers! Keep that in mind.

Congratulations: I would like to congratulate AlaskanKing for sniffing out some of my more important plot points for later on about the Life debts.

Neville as Harry's new best friend: Neville doesn't really play a big part in most of my stories. Other than the canon increase in his abilities from having a wand actually made for him, he isn't going to suddenly become Harry's Tag Team Partner. In fact, most of my Harrys don't have a lot of friends ( if any, see Master of Illusion and Rune Reader as great examples), mostly due to his angry, cold persona. Since Harry's going to Beaubatons to finish his education under an alias, most of his new friends are going to be OCs that end up being the first of his dedicated followers.

Gabrielle as Harry's last partner: As the readers figured out in the last chapter, due to some technicalities, Harry ends up with Gabrielle instead of Fleur. And to anyone who thinks that it is creepy that Harry's contracted to a ten year old girl ( nope, not moving her age up either) then keep in mind that the next few chapters ( At least four, but up to six) take place over five years, and predominantly in France.

Gringotts not being able to recoup Harry's Money: Well, in the real world, recovering all of your money after you've been scammed is unrealistic at best, especially during court cases. Most Civil Lawsuits or Torts, are settled outside of the courtroom. Usually, this is for only a percentage of the actual amount previously owed. Add into the fact that Civil Litigate Lawyers charge percentage of winnings fees ( 0% loss, 20%-30% Settlement, 40% Court Victory, in America at any rate) plus court fees, you don't really get all that much back. That's what I modeled the Goblins recovering some of Harry's money off of.

Also, Dumbledore's not stupid. He wouldn't just leave the money somewhere where the Goblins would easily be able to recover it if he got busted. If he did, then he's a pathetic excuse for a money launderer. Either way, once Sirius discovered all the money redirects, he was able to direct it into the James Black Vault, which Dumbledore doesn't have access to. Given that Harry's family owns most of the important store chains, and he himself has an interest in Weasley Wheezes, then he would be able to make it all up in no time.

Now, Enough of that. On with the story!

Harry woke up to a beautiful face keeping watch over him, but it startled the crap out of him. He shouted, " Narcissa Malfoy! What are you doing here?"

" Keeping an eye on you because Lord Black ordered me to. Now, lay your head back, and let the world slide away…"

Harry heard Sirius yell, " Cissy! Stop seducing my godson!"

Harry sank back, " Sirius, I've never been so happy to see you or Snape in my entire life."

Snape chuckled, " Make that double, Potter. I feel the same."

Sirius smiled, " How'd you do it?"

" I provoked Hermione by using crude jokes."

Sirius was at attention, " Do tell."

" Well, it started off with Ron. I asked him if Hermione was as bushy down there as she was up top. Of course, this came after Hermione was complaining about not being able to get into the Black Library. Ginny laughed, but I called her and Ron Fire Crotch. That pissed them off, then I insulted Ron's dick size."

Sirius blanched, " Damn, did you have to pull out that monstrosity of yours to shame him?"

" Unfortunately, no. Oh I wanted to show Hermione what she was missing, but they decided to leave, so I did everything but call Hermione a Mudblood. She finally cracked and attacked the cage. Worked like a charm."

Moony laughed, " Good job Harry. Who knows what type of horseshit that Dumbledore would have pulled after the Will stunt?"

" Amen to that, Professor."

Moony sighed, " How many times do we have to tell you I'm not your professor anymore? Call me Moony."

" Alright Moony. So, what's the plan?"

Sirius laughed, " What's always the plan?"

" Make it up as we go?"

Moony laughed too, " Unfortunately, no. Me and Sirius were able to get some lawyers together using Sirius' new Posthumous Pardon, and we got a good case for you. Fortunately, we are also pulling some strings to get Fudge on your side."

" Are you out of your fucking mind? Fudge will never support me!"

Narcissa said sweetly, " Fudge won't, but those galleons he loves so dearly will."

" Oh…"

Sirius slapped Harry on the back, causing the oft abused boy to flinch noticeably, " Don't worry Harry. We got this. Dumbledore would have to pull a miracle out of his ass to get this one."

" Don't be so confident Sirius. The last time you laughed at someone like that, Bellatrix Lestrange killed you."

" I DID WHAT?"

Sirius watched as Harry reached into Narcissa's robes, pulled her wand out, and fired a stunner at Bellatrix, hitting her square on. Narcissa scowled, " Nice shot, but at least have some decency to ask next time."

" Sorry, it was a little bit of a shock to see that Death Eater bitch so soon after the DOM battle."

Sirius muttered, " Harry, you need to know that Bella's been under a modified Imperious Curse, and a myriad of other brain control charms, since she was sixteen. She doesn't even remember most of the stuff she did. We checked using Legillimency. Don't look at me like that. Me, Snake, and Moony were more than capable of overcoming her barriers. "

Harry was still skeptical, but he looked at the Death Eater, and noticed she did look a lot younger now than she had at the battle. Sirius summoned some Firewhiskey from the fridge. Snape eagerly took a large canteen he had on his belt, and filled it to the brim. Sirius jibbed, " Drink alone Snake?"

" All day every day." Snape muttered as he took a huge swig from the canteen, " This stuff keeps me alive some days."

Moony chuckled as he took a small sip, and Harry laughed as Sirius made sure to give him a healthy share too. Harry took a large swig, and belched flames. " Wow, I didn't expect that."

" They call it Firewhiskey for a reason Potter."

Harry chuckled. After about three cups, he passed out on the sofa.

9876543234567890-09876543

( The Next Day)

" Sirius? What am I going to do about schooling?"

Sirius pondered for a moment, before exclaiming, " How do you like the idea of going to France Harry?"

" Why France?"

Sirius looked at his godson with a weary look on his face, " Beaubatons of course! "

" I definitely expected you to say, ' French Girls!'"

Sirius chuckled, " Them too. By the way, I will be meeting with the Delacours as soon as I can. I, uh, well I was looking through some documents in your Gringotts Vault, and I discovered that you have a couple of Marriage Contracts outstanding that need to be fulfilled. Unfortunately, these contracts were made at Gringotts, so the only way to get out of them is to; A) Die, B) Go to Azkaban, C) Lose your magic. I think we all know that it would be better to just go with the Contract than trying to opt out."

Harry looked a bit confused, " Is there something you aren't telling me Sirius?"

Sirius looked nervous, " Well, kinda. When I went to Azkaban, the contract I had with the Davis family defaulted, and fell to my heir. That heir happens to be you."

" Davis, like Tracey Davis?"

Sirius chuckled, " You sure you weren't supposed to be in Slytherin? Exactly. I had to pull the contract back up when I contacted the Davis' about supporting us in your Trial. You see, I was supposed to marry Marius Davis' sister, but due to circumstances, some within my control, my contract was delayed until my mother let me back into the family. Oddly, she did it right after I was sent to Azkaban. But that defaulted it and activated a Next of Line Clause. So Harry! You get three wives!"

Harry almost fainted, " S-S-S-Sirius? You want to run that by me again?"

" What's wrong kiddo? Don't think you can handle three women? I've had six at once before, and with that monstrosity of yours…."

Snape burst in, " Law of threes, Black. If a man ever tells you how many women he's had sex with, divide it by three, and you get the real number."

Sirius scowled, "Zero divided by three is still zero Snake."

Harry laughed, but Snape turned on him, " That applies to you too, Potter. And I heard all about that disaster with Chang earlier this year."

Harry turned bright red at Snape's jibe. Sirius chuckled, " Don't worry, first one's always the worst. Take from the Duke of Love himself."

Snape muttered, " Yes, listen to Duke Love, while I find me some more Firewhiskey."

Sirius glared, " Not until the night time. I've seen how much of that stuff you can put away, and while I'll never know how you do it, I refuse to spend my fortune buying Firewhiskey."

Snape sneered like normal, before bustling out of the kitchen to go buy firewhiskey. Sirius muttered to himself so low that Harry couldn't hear him, " I never saw him as too much of a drunk, but I guess losing the only friend he ever had to his most hated rival, and then having her die, I guess takes a toll on you. I only wish he was more open about it, then maybe he wouldn't be such an asshole."

Harry saw the look of concern on his Godfather's face, " Sirius? Something wrong?"

Sirius jumped, " Huh? No, nothing at all. Anyway, my aunt, Cassiopeia Black, is going to be coming by later to instruct you on how to be a member of the Black Family. Until then, Remus should be back in about five minutes from an Order Meeting."

( Order Meeting/The Burrow)

" I can't believe that brat was able to escape!"

Molly Weasley's anger rolled over the table like a tsunami. It was swift, it wasn't gentle, and it reaped destruction everywhere. Albus Dumbledore frowned, his eyes furrowed in anger and thought. Remus was careful to keep his poker face going. He absolutely could not afford to give any hint that he might be working as a double agent.

Snape wasn't there, because Dumbledore had sent him on a Recon Mission to the Dark Lord, but in reality, he was at Grimmauld Place laughing at all the enchantments Albus had placed on him. Remus decided to add fuel to Molly's fire, " Shall I remind you that it was your son's girlfriend who cast the blasting hex on the cage?"

Albus slammed his fist on the table, " Quiet Molly!" for Molly was about to attack Remus. Albus practically shouted, " Believe you me, Ms. Granger has been punished and will continue to be punished for her actions. She should have known that Potter would have been willing to try anything to get out."

McGonagall added her two pence, " I agree. The girl is a verifiable genius! She should have been able to see through such a simple plot!"

Moody chuckled, " Would you have? As I have said, CONSTANT VIGILANCE!"

Remus felt a piece of paper forced into his hand, and Moody looked at him with a look that just screamed, " Don't read it yet."

Albus finally just conceded, " Potter outfoxed us on this one. I agree that we should have known he would try something like this."

Arthur argued, " The kids shouldn't have been anywhere near Potter! Harry would truly be the imbecile that Severus claims that he is if he didn't at least notice that all of his friends received a lot more than he did. At worst, his mind clicked it all in place, and he now knows that Hermione, Ron, and all the others were just in it for coin and books. I told you it was a risk Dumbledore. Even if Granger never touched any of the money or books, I assure you that Potter will now rather die than trust her again. We're lucky we had his wand. Otherwise, he may have left the four in considerably worse shape."

Moody growled, " You fools have underestimated Potter too many damn times. You all said he would die before now, he hasn't. He was supposed to die in the Tournament, he won the damn thing. I wouldn't be surprised at all if that boy and his godfather were sitting together laughing their balls off at us."

Remus really had to keep his tongue in cheek, because Moody was looking right at Remus, and that probably was what Sirius and Harry were doing right now. Dumbledore decided that he had had enough, and ordered the meeting to a close. Moody nodded at Remus, and after Lupin left the Kitchen of the Burrow, he made sure he was out of sight. He flipped the note open, and read Moody's note,

"_Meet me at the Leaky Cauldron after the Meeting. Come alone…_

_ CONSTANT VIGILANCE. Make sure you aren't followed._

_ Alastor Moody"_

The note was signed, which was truly saying something. Remus apparated into Diagon Alley right outside of the Leaky Cauldron, and entered with his wand drawn. He took a couple of good looks around, and approached the counter. He muttered, " Constant Vigilance."

Tom the Bartender nodded, and came back with Moody. Moody growled, " Let us go to the room, Lupin. We have business to attend to."

The two entered a large room at the very far back of the Leaky Cauldron. Moody sealed the door, placed a slew of wards around it, and turned his wand to Remus, "So, Lupin, think you are funny don't you?"

Lupin stared down the wizened Auror, " I don't know what you're talking about."

Moody chuckled, " Don't worry, I know Black is alive, though I don't know how."

" None of us do. I think only Sirius does. He has rallied House Black to his side though, and Harry is with him. So is Severus."

Moody growled, " Well, that changes things for me considerably. Me and Dumbledore used to be old friends, but the old bastard's been doing something's that he should be killed for lately. I think it's time I changed sides."

Remus couldn't exactly believe his ears. Mad-Eye Moody, the man who had helped Dumbledore and the Ministry capture so many Death Eaters, talking about defecting? Insanity!

" I've just been waiting for a new side to arise, and this Order of the Blacks is interesting me. Remus, I'm getting old. I can't let myself be controlled like I used to. When I was an Auror, I performed my duties like the blind servant I was expected to be. When I retired, I realized that in doing so, I had made so many enemies that my greatest dream of being able to die of old age was likely not going to happen."

Remus looked at Moody oddly, " You mean you became an Auror just so you could live a quiet life at home when you got old?"

" The pay was good, and it had a great pension plan. You do realize I'm working on my fifth house in the last year right? I made so many enemies, that I ended up using all of my money to protect myself, and I ended up running right into Dumbledore's open arms. Sorry bastard, didn't even know I was being impersonated. Shows how much he cares."

Remus was still skeptical, " If you want to join, I will need a magical oath not to betray us."

Moody didn't hesitate, and in the process, he destroyed his Order of the Phoenix Amulet, breaking all ties with that Order. Remus smiled, " Good, now come with me."

( Grimmauld Place)

" Moony, I don't know what possessed you to bring Mad-Eye with you, but the wards say that nothing's wrong with him, and that he is who he says he is."

Sirius greeted the paranoid Auror with suspicion, with which Moody replied, " CONSTANT VIGILANCE."

Sirius relaxed at that, asking, " So why have you decided to join us Moody?"

" Likely the same reason that Flitwick is considering joining you. We're tired of Dumbledore's empty promises. Period. I'm tired of not doing anything. We're just monitoring guys like Lucius Malfoy! If we know where he is, then why not kill him and be done with him?"

Narcissa had an answer, " Because Draco is ten times as bad as his father. He may not be as smart, but he is twice as fanatical as the worst Death Eater."

" Says the prettiest Eater of them all, oh Wicked Witch."

Sirius cut in, " Lay off my cousin Alastor. Narcissa is on our side, as is Bella for that matter. I have proof that she was under control, so don't even bother to blow up on me."

" Where's Potter?"

Sirius laughed, " With my Aunt Cassiopeia in France. He'll be back in a few days after a crash course in what it means to be a Black. Outside of this house, always call Harry, James Black."

" Alright, not like that makes it hard for someone to figure out who he is."

Sirius chuckled, " Wizarding world stupidity surprises me all the time Alastor, so I've learned to exploit it."

Moody chuckled, which wasn't much different from his growl, " Good, it is about time you figured out how to be a Black in these times. I'm all for you being James Potter's best friend and all, but you would be best served being Arcturus Black's grandson in these days."

Sirius nodded grimly, " Which is why I sent Harry to be taught by Cassiopeia."

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( Harry)

Harry was receiving a speech from Aunt Cassiopeia that wasn't that unlike the one he had gotten from Voldemort in his first year.

" There are only two types of people in the World Harry Potter. Those with Power, and those who are dead. There is no in-between. You might say that there is a third category, Those who are going to die. Do not let the Dark Lord's words of Power fool you. There are many types of power. For example, what good would a wizard who is more powerful than the Dark Lord and Dumbledore put together, if he is in a French Diplomatic Meeting and he doesn't know how to cast a Translation Charm?"

Harry answered, " No good."

" Exactly. It does no good to be powerful, if you should not have the knowledge to back it up. Just the same, it does you no good to have the knowledge if you do not have the power to back it up. The third line is that none of this matters if you do not have the cunning and temperance to use them both wisely. Do you know any person who has one or more of these links? Besides Dumbledore of course."

Harry said, " Hermione may have the one about knowledge and power, but she certainly does not have the temperance and cunning to use it wisely."

" Good, in your own experience, you know of someone who has both knowledge and power, but not the cunning to use it. Do you know of someone who has the power, but not the knowledge?"

Harry answered, " Ginny Weasley. She has the magical power of her three eldest brothers put together, but she neither uses it wisely, nor does she have the knowledge. Her most lethal curse is a prank curse at best."

" Very good. Do you know of someone who has the cunning and knowledge, but not the power?"

Harry answered with another Weasley, " Fred and George Weasley. They take their talents at making pranks, and use it for profit. But they don't have the power to stand up in a one on one battle without the outside help of their pranks, some of which could turn the tides of battle."

" Like?"

" Peruvian Total Darkness, Invisibility Hats, Decoy Detonators, etc. They even make semi poisonous candies that you can use to incapacitate your enemies. But these wouldn't do much good against a prepared opponent, especially one who knows what you are doing and can cast a Silencer on the Decoy before detonates, etc."

The old crone cracked a wide smile, " My task will be much easier. You do have some knowledge of tactics. But I am also told that you do not enjoy your fame. Why is this?"

Harry looked slightly contrite, " I didn't earn it. I don't want to be a posturing fool like Lockhart was. I also didn't want to seem to be like Draco Malfoy either, always using my father's name to get what I want."

"You're not going to have to be. Given fame is just as powerful as earned fame. You did the world a great favor when you got that male goldilocks of an idiot locked up in St. Mungo's. Who knows what would have happened if someone like Lucius Malfoy got a hold of his money and started to manipulate him?"

Cassiopeia pulled a thick black book out of her purse, " This book right here contains all the information I have gathered over sixty years of being a French Diplomat. I know enough scandal and blackmail to get Aurors from all four corners of the world to come after the Dark Lord, but one wise in the arts of deception never, _ever_ uses all his or her ammunition on a single salvo."

" Potter, if I only teach you one thing in this entire time, and if I do only teach you one thing, I will be sorely disappointed, then I want you to know this. One can accomplish more with a quill and a sheet of parchment, than one can accomplish in a month with a wand. If you know who to talk to, if you know who's strings to pull, if you know who's strings can be pulled, than you are invincible. This is the Dark Lord's weakness, and Dumbledore's strength. Words with double meanings are the weapons of choice amongst us. "

Harry nodded, fascinated by this underworld that lay festering under the shimmering scales of Ministries and Governments around the world. Cassiopeia didn't look like much on the outside, but she was a devilish woman, a whirling dervish of black mail, intrigue and coercion, skilled in the arts of making men feel safe and secure, when in reality, they were in grave danger. What was truly impressive, was that Cassiopeia could do this without magical aid.

" Men have been doing this since the first nations arose and there was the need for collaboration. One with a silver tongue can acquire things that would take one with a silver sword years to get. An assassin who's honeyed words allow him to poison the cups of royalty, can kill a king in a castle that would take years and thousands of needless deaths to capture in a siege. One dagger to the back in an abandoned warehouse can stop a war, or start one, depending on the intent of those hiring. More men die playing the Great Game than died in the first Great War.

But the most important thing about this Great Game, is the money. If you have money, then there are those to be hired, and those who will do your bidding without question, those who may also give your secrets for coin. Coin is the most lethal of all double edged blades. The same assassin you purchased for a thousand galleons, might sell you out for two thousand more. Think of your old friend Ron Weasley. The boy got a lot of money in dear Sirius' fake Will, but he didn't earn any of it. All he did was become your friend. Whether that was arranged before or after you became friends is moot. He sold you out, period, and he would do it again."

Harry nodded at the brutal truths the woman sung out. Her manner of speaking was like that of a song, gentle and caressing each word, stressing the importance of every word, not just one or two.

" Power is another device to be used by the wicked for their own personal gain. One who is eager for power is one who can be played by one who has power. Plain and simple. With Power, one can get both coin and knowledge, and love. The quest for power makes one weak, and easy to control. Nymphadora Tonks was slated to receive Sirius' titles. That is power, as such, she was easily manipulated to being in a position to take a lot of blame."

Harry nodded, contemplating what she was saying. She was systematically exposing each and every one of the failures, and then saying how they could have succeeded.

" Knowledge is the most fickle of all desires, for it is not finite, like power or coin. Knowledge gives an ordinary man an edge over other ordinary men, but in all, it is the weakest and least useful of the Three Kings. But one who thirsts for knowledge can be played more readily than any of the others, allowing the manipulator to place his cards on the upper deck. Hermione Granger was and is doomed to a lonely, painful death as a hermit if she continues her path. Selling out her only friend for access to a Library that still wouldn't have let her in, because she doesn't have Black Heritage, was a stupid and ill-calculated gamble at best. I applaud your use of her as the one with Knowledge and Power, but not the cunning to use it. You spoke wisely. One crushing movement, and she will exist only in a cesspool of her own regret, anger, and tears. And among all else, it would have all been her fault. "

Harry nodded again, remembering the crushing heartache he had felt when they had read Hermione's part of the fake Will, his own jealousy for seeing her in Ron's arms, his rage when he…. He was already plotting his own revenge. Like she was reading his mind, Cassiopeia now spoke of Love.

" Men in love are worse than bitches in heat at an all male kennel. Love exists independent of the Three Kings, as she exists as the Queen. There is an old saying that the Rooster rules the Roost, but the Hen rules the Rooster. The men who come to be their own, even after falling in love, are those who can exploit this. Our friend Sirius is an excellent example of a man who can use his looks and suave mannerisms to get in the beds of powerful women, and use it for gain. It takes true skill to pull that upset off. To paint a full tale, and yet Sirius has done it before. It was his test to become an Unspeakable. Using one of the Royalties of the Great Game, work your way in. He did it by sleeping with Algeron Croaker's granddaughter. Multiple times. And then making it look like she was sterile. A man with powerful looks is a man who is harder to stop than most. Until they run across a woman of similar power and looks."

Harry felt the smile on her lips, as though she had been one of those women back in the day. Maybe Perceus had been one of those men? Cassiopeia began to teach him how some words meant the same thing, but others could be used in their places to sound more sophisticated. Particularly in France, sounding more sophisticated was important. But using such honeyed tones were also good ways to confuse criminal and underground organizations to follow you for far less than they would normally.

Magic was not as important as using a person's actual abilities against them. If you come across a Quidditch player, flatter their skill, then beat them at it, and then con them into getting on your side. Meet a beautiful girl, flatter her beauty, buy her a drink, then con her in to bed with you using disguised wording and innuendo. Cassiopeia said that this was one of Sirius' favorite tactics, and one of her own ( she used it on men and women both, saying that the underground doesn't discriminate) for gathering information.

The best tactic, was bribery. Sending a few galleons to a cash needy waiter who was just at an important rivals table. Offering loans to floundering printing presses, which was how Harry found out that the Blacks were never explicitly mentioned in the Quibbler, especially Sirius, who was always affectionately called Stubby Boardman. Sirius had granted Xeno Lovegood a loan when he was starting up, and then had slept with his wife. Turns out that Sirius was actually Luna's father, but Xeno had certain charms on her mother to delay the birth that affected Luna's mind in strange ways. Probably worse than Bella Lestrange.

Cassiopeia thought that that particularly incident was the beginning of Sirius' downfall. Not long after, he was arrested. Harry raised a good point, Luna looked next to nothing like Sirius, but Cassiopeia refuted his argument, stating that Xeno was a eunuch, both of his balls had been loped off in a freak accident. Sirius was a "Surrogate Father", just like the women who have children for those who can't.

Harry chuckled darkly at Sirius being a father, which made Harry wonder why he had never gotten married or anything. After all, Sirius did have that Marriage Contract with the Davis' that ended up being passed on to Harry himself because he delayed it too long. Cassiopeia said that being a ladies' man makes one rather unattractive for a permanent relationship, as women of integrity will always suspect you of cheating. Cassiopeia then praised him for his arguing skills, for unlike in the normal public, in the underworld of diplomacy and politics, arguing can save your life while you come up with a way to drive off the assassins your rival hired to kill you.

When Harry left Cassiopeia a few days later, he had learned a lot more than just the value of words over actions. He had learned how to play the feelings of a man for a woman against his enemies. He had learned how to disguise his words in a way to keep Dumbledore off guard. He was a True Black now.

98797-9-78-687-46-867-8-8794-67-56-78-7-685-67-56-856478-45-78-578-5-5-6785-7-56-56

( The Davis Manor)

" Sirius! What can this old friend do for you?"

Sirius was happy to see his old friend Marius Davis, though he was surprised to know that the man hadn't believed the Prophet when it had said he was dead. Marius Davis had the typical long Lord hair, tied into a ponytail. His hair was a dark brown that reminded Sirius of Hermione Granger, only darker. His vigilant cobalt eyes surveyed and took in all of his opponent. Friend or not, Sirius was as much of an enemy to Marius. Sirius shook Marius' hand, " I hope this is a good time? Is your daughter home?"

Marius' darkened considerably, " Yes she is. However, I grow more and more worried about her safety each passing day. My stance of neutrality is well known among the Pureblood circles, and I keep getting these suitor offers from Dark families like the Malfoys and Notts. Hell, even the Crabbes and Goyles sent me an offer, as if I would ever let my jewel marry brainless thugs."

" I had heard that your daughter was very smart and cunning, if distant."

Marius sighed, " Yes. Being sorted into Slytherin is somewhat of a curse if you aren't the traditional pureblood wife to be. Granted, there are some decent fellows in Slytherin, like Blaise Zambini, but most of them are overlording, Death Eater to be assholes who think the world should give them what they want just because of their names."

" Well, Marius. I know you've been having trouble finding someone your daughter likes, while still keeping stature. I think I can help."

Marius sneered in a way that would make Snape envious, " And how is that? Just like you helped my sister?"

Sirius felt anger flash, but suppressed it, " Related to that. My contract for your sister had a Next in Line Clause."

Marius paled, " No….."

" Yes, if I couldn't fulfill it, then the contract fell to my Heir."

Marius shouted, " NO I WILL NOT LET MY DAUGHTER MARRY DRACO MALFOY!"

Sirius fell out of his chair, " Wait you thought Malfoy was my heir? Why?"

" Blood wise, he is."

Sirius laughed, " Do you think I am that stupid? Harry Potter is my heir, not Draco Malfoy. His grandmother was my grandfather's sister."

Marius muttered, " Not much better, Sirius. What part of I don't like to choose sides don't you people seem to understand?"

Sirius sighed, " Well, I'm afraid you don't have much choice in this matter. This is my old contract, and Tracey is named as your Next of Line. She will have to marry Harry, or risk losing her magic."

Marius sighed, and put his hands on his face, " I can't believe it Sirius. Promise me one thing though."

" What?"

Marius looked him dead in the eye, " That he won't screw her like you did my sister."

" What!"

Marius glared, " You weren't here, so you didn't know. She was so upset when they sent you to Azkaban. After a few days, she just clammed up and never said another word. She killed herself a couple of days later."

Sirius looked down. He always wondered what happened to her, but he never had the guts to go find out. Now he knew…..

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( Delacour Manor)

Lord Greengrass had been most pleased to hear about the old Potter-Greengrass treaty. Sirius hadn't completely thought he would be upset, because the Goblins had said he had inquired about after his youngest daughter, Astoria had been born. Apparently his wife had had complications in Astoria's birth that had made it a grave danger to attempt to have another child.

Now for the real trouble. Apolline Delacour was the wife, and Veela consort of Jean Delacour, Head of the French DMLE. Apolline wasn't so much an old friend of Sirius' but an old running mate when he had been stationed in France as an Unspeakable. She had a fiery temper that scared even him sometimes.

The guard held a hand, " Messer, Appointment?"

Sirius held the parchment up, and the guard nodded his approval. Sirius knew French, but he also knew that it was best not to let the French know you can speak their language unless you catch them badmouthing you. Let's English folk like himself pick up on things they normally wouldn't say.

Sirius entered a large sitting room, and as per his request, only Apolline was there. She shook her silvery blonde hair, " Sirius? Is zer a reason you 'ave requested a private audience?"

Sirius knelt, kissed her hand, and answered, " It may be troubling to you. I know how you favor your daughters."

" Oh, Siri. I 'ave been known to give zem a lizzle favor every now and zen."

Sirius pulled out the Gringotts document, " Then promise me you won't kill your husband for this."

Apolline perused the document, and she got more and more angry as she read it. Finally, Sirius just pulled the paper away from her, afraid she would go Veela on him and incinerate the whole house, " Apolline, as I said, keep yourself under control."

" Oui, I must calm down. It has been awhile since I 'ave received as shock like zat one. It is signed by James Potter."

Sirius sighed, " James was Lord Potter for all of about three weeks. His grandfather died almost exactly three weeks before Voldemort was able to hunt down the Potters. I assume you can see the real problem with this correct?"

" Oui, it says Eldest Daughter, but Fleur has already announced her engagement to zat trash Bill Weasley."

Sirius laughed, " I see we have similar opinions of the Weasleys. I never liked them period, which is why I was upset when Harry told me his best friend was Ronald Weasley. I think we know how that worked out."

" Zat Will Reading was in ze Headlines for ze last week, Siri. I was furious at Fleur when she told me she was getting married to one of zose fools! I kicked her out of ze family."

Sirius' eyes went wide at that statement. He knew the Weasleys were bad, but he didn't think that Apolline would be so angry at her own daughter to kick her out of the family. " So that's why the Eldest Daughter is now Gabrielle. You kicked Fleur out of the family?"

" My husband has hoped that I would reconsider, and allow her back in. But I shot him down. I vill not be related to ze Weasley filth! Scum of ze Wizarding World, ze worst filth imaginable! I didn't know of ze Potter contract, I wonder when Jean would have spoken about zat? If I had, I may have reconsidered. But I refuse to allow ze Delacour name to be soiled by ze Weasley filth!"

Sirius chuckled, drawing a glare, " I see that we are in agreement then. My godson, Harry Potter, may be a wanted criminal, but he is at least extremely wealthy. Or he used to be, and will be again soon. "

" Yes, Dumblydorr and his foolish attempts at laundering money. Zat was in ze papers too. Did zey really only recover 40%?"

Sirius sighed, " Unfortunately. But all the artifacts and documents were still there, so we didn't have to worry about them. Dumbledore did a good job of getting all that money into places we couldn't reach. Add into the typical Gringotts fees, and he really didn't get that much back. But the Potters have Controlling Share in some of the most lucrative business chains in the world, so Harry will probably make everything he lost back times three by the end of this business quarter."

" Dumblydor is a fool for alienating 'Arry Potter."

Sirius smiled widely, " So are so many others. I believe my godson already has a suitable revenge planned for his two ex-best friends. Something that will occur later, but let us just say he is well versed in Life debts."

" 'Arry Potter may not be ze saviour we want to believe he is, but he is a hero in his own right."

Sirius muttered, " I should hope so. I don't want him Dark, but I don't want him Light either."

" Siri, if being Light means being Dumblydorr's simpering sycophant, 'is innocuous salesman, than I vould razer be a Dark wizard."

Sirius chuckled, " Such is my argument as well, Apolline. If I must forgive Voldemort for killing James and all those others, then I will never be a Light Wizard. His actions demand retribution."

" I agree. I 'ave 'eard that you 'ave your own Order? What is it like?"

Sirius muttered at his feet, " We are the oppressed, those who have not been able to life their lives as they should, due to bigotry and hate. Our primary weapon is blackmail, our method of choice is deception, our objective is coercion. We are the power behind the throne, the spider in the web, the shadows in the night. We are the Order of the Blacks."

Apolline placed her hand on Sirius' shoulder, " Do not worry, Siri. Tis a shame zat my Gabrielle has to be placed into bondage at such a young age. I 'ope 'Arry will not object to giving her a few years to mature?"

"Harry has such a terrible sex life he may as well be a eunuch. A few years will not mean much to him. I plan to send him to Beaubatons under the persona of James Black, my son. Do me a favor, Apolline, and do not tell your husband or anyone else, save maybe Gabrielle, that James Black is Harry Potter. I fear I must end our business. If I remember correctly, Jean will be home in about forty minutes."

" But Siri, zat is more zan enough time for us to get to know each other again."

" Depends on how you mean."

" You know what I want."

" Very well, Hair force one. Just remember that I have the visage of a man, but the hands of a beast."

" So I am fucking with fire now?"

45234-634-74-68-456-245-654-78-564-674-683-563-658-3557-46-8456-745-74-68-456-56584-563-45635

( Beaubatons Academia of Magic)

" **Sirius Black, to see Madame Maxime, Headmistress of Beaubatons Academy of Magic"**

The receptionist shivered a little, but pointed him to the large room down the hall. Sirius had been to Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beaubatons. Beaubatons was the only school large enough to have an Administrative building outside of the actual school. Beaubatons was also the most aesthetically pleasing of all the schools. Hogwarts has the old majesty of a mighty castle, but there's something to be said about living in a palace made of crystal.

Sirius entered the Headmistresses office, and was greeted by the Half-giantess. She opened the conversation off in English, " What does Dumblydor want now? 'Is Hagrid is nice, but 'e is very stupid in all things ozzer than beasts."

Sirius responded in French, " **I am not here on Dumbledore's behalf. I am here on my own."**

** " Is that so? How may I assist you then?"**

Sirius pulled out some papers, " **These are for my godson, Harry Potter to transfer to your school under the assumed alias of James Augustus Black."**

** " This will not be a problem. I guess Dumblydor has finally pushed Potter beyond his brink?"**

Sirius snorted, " You could say that. **He was arrested on trumped up charges. We are trying to get the case thrown out, as well as get some civil stuff sent in on Dumbledore, but the battle is not easy. I would like to know if you would help me, Olympe?"**

** " Of course Siri! Anything for an old friend of Apolline's."**

** " Do you happen to know anyone at Beaubatons who may have a family willing to take a Foreign exchange student?"**

Maxime flipped through some records, " **Yes, the Royeauxs. French version of the English Royal, they are Purebloods of the highest order. Guillaume and Lenore's parents can trace their lineage back to a cousin of Louis Sun King. I shall contact them. When can Serah Potter be expected?"**

** " About three weeks before Term, so in about a week. I need to get Harry out of Britain as quickly as possible. In fact, if it is possible, I will try to smuggle him in without getting Jean Delacour's attention. He's a Dumbledore Supporter of the highest degree."**

Sirius smiled as he began to sign the transfer forms, and even put in a little clause to send the Fuck You to Dumbledore. The forms would say that Harry Potter was transferring, but the actual school records would only record a James Black. Sirius had already cleared using Maria Davis as his wife with Marius Davis, who hadn't been very pleased with the idea, but conceded, thinking it would be a better way to remember his sister. They changed her cause of Death to Childbirth, and James Black's birthday was listed as October the 31st 1981. The pieces were in place, and by now, Harry should have been back at Grimmauld Place, fresh from getting tortured by Aunt Cassie.

34-234-624-45-8-68-6-568-578-7356-87-84-563-56784-678-47-467-356-73-64-65

( Harry at Grimmauld Place)

Harry laughed slightly when Sirius told him he was going to be learning ' The Sirius Way of Love', but he had no idea that Sirius had a book that backed his talking up. Sirius plopped a very large book that looked like it was from the Amsterdam Red Light District. " This is the Book of Love, Mr. Potter. We Casanovas called it the Bible, it is how we ply our trade, how we score. As you know, I was an Unspeakable, and while I can't actually tell you what I was doing, I can tell you that I was once stationed in East Great Falls. This book, contains everything you will ever need to know about how to woo women. Period. Read up. There are charts in the back that you can use to predict a woman's 'time of the month.' They are amazingly accurate, ask Narcissa about it."

Harry's last week at Grimmauld place was spent learning the Book of Love, and how to use his manly desires for profit, as Sirius had. Then came his day of leaving.

Sirius handed him Bellatrix's wand, which worked surprisingly well, " If we end up under attack, use this. Snake says that the Death Eaters will be attacking Amelia Bones' place, so we're going to head them off. If we can get Bones out, then we will have base with an important Ministry official. Having an important official in your debt is important."

Harry nodded, " I hear you Sirius."

Sirius handed Harry the Port Key, " The activation phrase for this key is Freedom, but it won't activate until we get there. If fighting ensues, I want you to get out as quickly as possible. When you get to France, tell the Royeauxs that you need a wand."

With that, the Order of the Blacks apparated to the Bones safehouse. When they got there, there was already sounds of battle. Sirius shouted, " Damn! Harry! Get out now!"

Harry was about to yell the password, when an Anti-Portkey ward went up. Sirius cursed, " Fuck! Guess we have to fight our way out then. To me!"

Lupin fired a Blasting Hex at the door, hitting a couple of Death Eaters that were inside. Sirius was the first one in, shouting " _Gelu Iaculis!"_

An icy jet of frost flew from his wand, freezing the Death Eaters in the hall. Sirius pushed past them into the main living room, where Amelia Bones was making her last stand against Voldemort himself.

Voldemort hissed at Sirius, surprised that he was alive, and Sirius didn't hesitate, _Forma Fulgur!_

Three bolts of lightning ripped from Sirius' wand, and scattered among Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. The power of the lightning bolt shocked Voldemort, and pushed him back towards the fireplace. Sirius smirked as Harry used an elemental spell of his own, _Pugillo Terrae_. A large fist rose from the floor, made entirely of stone, and slammed into the Death Eaters gathered around Voldemort. They distinctly heard Voldemort hiss, " Retreat my followers. We've been had this time."

The Portkey ward was disabled, and Sirius shouted at Harry as Order members began to appear, " Get out now!"

Harry pulled the small key, and whispered, " Freedom", felt the tug behind his navel, and disappeared. He woke up with a blonde man looking at him. The man quickly performed a Translation Charm on Harry, and greeted him, " **Good Night, James Augustus Black, or should I say Harry Potter?"**

A/N: Next Chapter, Harry meets his new companions in France, gets word from Sirius about the battle with the Order and Voldemort, and goes to Beaubatons for the first time.

So how many people got my American Pie references in this chapter?

Hopefully this chapter cleared a few things up for some of you, as well as giving you some new things to ponder about (Delacour Family Schism, Sirius' old romance with Marius' sister, Mad Eye joining the Blacks, and the possibility of others.)

Snake is Snape by the way.

Latin

Forma Fulgur: Pattern Lightning OR Chain Lightning.

Pugillo Terrae: Fist of the Earth.

Gelu Iaculis: Frost Thrower.


	4. Chapter 3 Royeaux and Noble Weasleys

Chapter 3 The Royeauxs and Noble Weasleys

A/N: For people wondering how Harry would meet Daphne and Tracey if he's in France, where is every pureblood's favorite vacation spot? France, and the most Purebloods have relatives that live in France ( Malfoys and Blacks in particular). So, holidays! Like this one, " Hint Hint"

For this Chapter, Harry will be referred to as James Black, James, Heir Black or some other title equivalent when it is his Viewpoint, or in France Period. Sirius and the others will still refer to him as Harry.

Not to keep you all busy much longer, but I was rather amused by a review submitted by Nightwing27. Thanks for the good chapter comment. Nightwing's review did give me an idea though.

**Bold Type =** French

_Italics: _Thoughts

James hit his head on the bed he was resting on as he tried to get up. The man standing over him was Cheval Royeaux, a French nobleman who could claim descent from the last Mage King, Louis the Sun King. He had blonde hair that looked like the sunlight on a clear summer's day. His eyes were the color of the sky on a clear day. He spoke with a lilting French accent, making his voice roll off his tongue, " **Messer Black, it is a pleasure to meet you at last. Of course I know who you really are, but that is a tale for another day. Like Madame Maxime, I have been sworn to secrecy. As I am aware, you will need a wand. Is that correct?"**

James cleared his throat to make sure he had a Translation Charm going, before saying, " **That is correct, Lord Cheval Royeaux. My own wand was taken from me at the time of my 'accident' and I need a sufficient replacement."**

** " Well, there is a French Wand crafter, and he is most magnificent in his craftsmanship. But he is most unusual in his style. He uses crystals and gemstones for his wands rather than wood. As such, his wands are worth significantly more. "**

James sighed. Money was a real problem, because Dumbledore had managed to sneak off with most of it. The money that had been recovered was going towards his Tuition at Beaubatons, which cost significantly more than Hogwarts had. Cheval laughed at his forlorn exchange student, " **For my family, cost is no such problem. Though I was upset when I heard of the Potters losing their estate, my own is in good hands. My family has run jewelry stores, enchantment stores, and apothecaries for centuries! No matter the cost, you will have what you need. But do not mistake my children as spoiled. They work hard for what they have."**

James chuckled at the last statement. The only thing that went through his mind was, _Great, French versions of the Malfoys._ He swung his legs off the bed, and got up. The manor was huge, according to Cheval, it was larger than Potter Castle had been until Dumbledore had sold it to an American car dealership. This caused James to bristle considerably, so Cheval decided that now was not the time to talk about his new charges actual family.

Cheval shouted, " **Guillaume! Lenore! It is time for us to get ready to go shopping for Beaubatons. Come on down and meet Heir Black!"**

The first down was the boy. He was James' age, though he was of considerably better constitution and build. He was taller than Harry, but only by a few centimeters at most. He had darker brown hair, it was very wavy. In other words, near the top of his head, it was very straight and elegant looking. At the ends and near his neck, it was bushier than Hermione's hair. Guillaume shouted, " **You are Lord Potter?"**

Cheval cursed, " ** Damn you boy! We aren't supposed to call him that! On the outside, he is James Augustus Black, the son of Apolline Delacour's friend Sirius Black. You may only call him Potter in this house, and only then when he allows it! Am I understood?"**

** " Yes father."**

** " Yes what?"**

** " Yes Lord Royeaux."**

James chuckled, " Hard on your children?"

Cheval glared wistfully at Harry, " **I only know a little English. So it is one of my rules. Don't Speak English at my house!"**

James laughed, but didn't say anything. A female voice wafted down on them , " **Sorry I'm late father!"**

Lenore couldn't have looked any more different from her brother, but more like her father than if she tried. She had her father's sunlight blonde hair, his sky blue eyes, but she was taller than he was. Lenore was two years younger than James, she was technically fourteen, but James would turn sixteen on July the thirty-first, exactly two days from now. James knew about the Delacour contract, and knew he would be considered a cradle robber for the rest of his life, but he figured he was entitled to look at girls within two years of his own. She blushed at his gaze, " **Hello Heir Black."**

James chuckled, used to this reaction, " ** My first name is James you know."**

She blushed further, and James didn't pursue a further conversation. Cheval muttered, " **Well, we had better get going to Crystal Alley. Our equivalent to Diagon Alley. You will find it to be better in many ways, Heir Black."**

James chuckled as he stepped into the Floo. Damn he still hated Floo travel….

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( Sirius)

Sirius looked at his still bleeding arm with apprehension. Dumbledore had almost had them. Luckily, the only thing Moony had done was blast the door, so they still had their spy on the Order of the KFC. They had saved Madame Bones, and were still deriving as much information they could from her. She had sworn to join the Black Order, and had. Now they had a powerful Official on their side, albeit one who was some serious DE trouble.

Sirius and Harry had overpowered Voldemort easily, but Dumbledore had been a horse of a far different color. He came in with the big guns firing. Sirius had barely had enough time to escape a Fire Whip to cast a Smoke Bomb spell to get out. Luckily, none of the Order of KFC turncoats had been on his team, and only Narcissa was in any trouble of being implicated for anything. At worst, he would be accused of being a Death Eater, but Fudge would never touch a Black. Period, no matter how many Imperious Curses he was under. Messing with the Blacks was a death sentence, except for those Harry had claimed. Harry had said he had something special planned for Ron and Hermione.

Harry explained an unlikely theory at best, but was becoming more and more likely every time Moony said he saw them. Aunt Cassie had approved of the theory, which was strange, she never approved of anything. Harry postulated that Ron and Hermione were somehow meant for each other. How the hell they were, he didn't give a fuck. He didn't care if Hermione really was in love with Ron, or if she was a Cauldron wife, his plan was still the same. He intended to steal the fuck out of their thunder at the most opportune moment. A moment that would not only crush both of them, but the spirit of the Light Forces as well. " What single moment would be best for raising the spirits of the Light? A wedding of course. A wedding can be seen as a symbol of hope to many. To ruin it would be a coup d'état of the greatest degree!" he had argued to great effect.

The more Sirius thought of this at one time unrealistic event, the more he realized it was more and more likely to happen. Sirius contemplated his own stance. How would he begin the Black Quest for Vengeance? Such a quest was something that not even mothers dared use to chastise their unruly children at night. Everyone knew that fucking with the Blacks was a death sentence or worse. And the Blacks knew the meaning of Worse than death better than the preacher of that philosophy Dumbledore himself.

Snape came bustling in with a salve for Sirius' arm, muttering, " You guys did quite a number on the Dark Lord. He was pissed when he got back. He was throwing Cruciatus curses around like they were bouncy balls."

Sirius groaned, " Yeah, if only Dumbledore hadn't come personally, then we could have mopped up the Phoenix members too. "

Snape sneered, " You should have known Dumbledore would be there to see Bones personally dead. She is a thorn in his side, and we should probably find her niece and bring her here. Her name is Susan Bones."

" Wonder when Moony is going to get back from that Phoenix meeting?"

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( Remus Lupin/ Order Meeting)

Lupin starred a furious Dumbledore down like a boss. Eventually, the old man relented, unable to break Lupin's naturally powerful Occlumency barriers. Molly was furious as usual. Arthur had been injured in the fight when he tried to stun Harry Potter, so Potter had retaliated. Granted, that Fist of Earth spell was meant for the Death Eaters, but Harry was able to quick switch his targets with great precision. Harry had shattered five ribs with it, and that was as he was getting sucked out by the Portkey.

" That ungrateful bastard almost killed my husband! I'll kill him if I ever see him again!"

Kingsley stoned her, " What makes you think you stand much better of a chance against Potter? It is clear that Black has been teaching him powerful spells. Speaking of Black, how and why was he there? Didn't he die about a month ago?"

Dumbledore glared at the wall, " Sirius Black somehow lived through going through the Veil of Death. Who knows what evil powers Black possesses, and to an extent, Harry? It is unfortunate, but we have to assume that Harry Potter has gone dark. In his desperation, he finally succumbed to the allure of the dark side."

Most of the Order bowed their heads in shame, some, including McGonagall of all people cried. However, some of them held their heads high. Flitwick, Lupin, and Kingsley held their heads up high. Same with the Weasley twins. Lupin had been "recruiting" for awhile now, and had determined that some of the more adept fighters, especially the older ones, were getting tired of Dumbledore's passive attack patterns. Flitwick in particular, had a reason similar to Moody's. He didn't want to die with his back pressed against the wall and a hundred Death Eaters in front of him. Though, as a half-Goblin, that end would be far more glorious than lying under bed sheets waiting for death, Flitwick didn't rightly care. His true passion was teaching, he had quit Dueling for a reason.

The Weasley Twins were perfectly conscious of the precarious state their relationship was with Harry Potter. On one side, their family was going through a Hate Harry episode like the rest of the world was prone to doing and it would likely pass. The Twins themselves still liked Harry. On the other, he also owned a portion of their business, and through loopholes, Harry could run them out of business, , sue them for damages and withholding money, or even worse, take control of it right from under their feet. Being schooled by the Blacks, who had done this to several notable businesses like Zonko's, meant that the Twins now had to fear Harry as much as admire him.

Kingsley was in the prime of his life. He didn't like to admit it, but he had always felt that joining the Order of the Phoenix had been a mistake. He was still a young gun back during the first war, but he had been a very late addition. So late that he didn't count towards the final roster. So he was counted as a new member in this latest installation. The obvious extra danger didn't go much to make him feel better, but he was a man of duty. He knew that Dumbledore's way of doing things wasn't saving lives. It was only losing them and wasting them. He felt deeply for Nymphadora, the youngest member of the Order, who had been suckered in by promises of money and glory in the name of the Greater Good. He had no sympathy for her after the Will Stunt, though ,and he was more than willing to abandon his Auror partner to her fate with the Order of the Phoenix.

Certain Order of the Phoenix members had tried to make passes on him, though Dumbledore could have picked less obvious members like Elphias Doge, who had known Dumbledore practically his whole life. Others, like Mundungus Fletcher, seemed interested, but Lupin didn't even bother to consider them, knowing they would probably sell him out as soon as they found out what he was offering.

Something that always bothered Remus, was that he couldn't reach the younger members of the Order, like Nymphadora, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones. It seemed like the younger members were so deeply ingrained in Dumbledore's philosophy, that Remus could only convert the older ones who had the sense to realize what was going on.

Remus' recruiting hadn't gone unnoticed. He knew this for a fact, for Hermione Granger had asked him about it one day after a meeting. Her exact words were, " Who are you recruiting for?"

Remus was caught off guard, but he knew better than to assume anything around Granger. She, like Harry, had a knack for knowing things she shouldn't, and this was one more to add to the list. Remus had been tempted to at least partially reveal the truth, but he had to remind himself that, knowingly or otherwise, she had cheated her best friend for a bunch of books. So he was able to easily redirect her by toying with the idea that he was looking for people to form a defense group to better defend certain locations. He even threw in House Elves, remembering the girl's unhealthy obsession with House Elves and civil rights. He had breathed a sigh of relief when she got off his case. To pay her back, he slipped some love potion antidote into her meal that night, and noted that she and Ron had a magnificent row a couple of hours later. Remus kept a good eye on everyone, but Harry wouldn't be likely to care if Hermione or anyone else was under a Love Potion. According to Sirius, Harry already had a plan in the motion that relied on him actually allowing things to run their course, at least for now.

Whatever Harry's plan was, he seemed to be exerting some sort of control over his ex best friends. Something Remus had noticed about BOTH Ron and Hermione, and especially Ginny, was that when Harry was exceptionally madly moody ( pun intended), they would be rather surly and not like each other very much. When Harry went off to France and was being taught by Cassiopeia, the two Weasleys were really settled and mellow, and Hermione was extremely jittery. And, at the meeting just before Harry left, and the meeting that Remus had found out that Dumbledore knew about the Bones attack, but wasn't doing anything about it, all three of them seemed to be extremely nervous. It was very bad, because it looked like Hermione was about to burst out in tears during the meeting, and Ginny didn't look much better. Ron was taking sharp intakes of breathe like he was fearing for his life. It had been distracting to say the least, but Remus had still been able to get the tactical information that enabled Sirius to escape after saving Madame Bones.

Narcissa said that the Order Plan had gone exactly as Remus had said. Dumbledore and his best units apparated in as soon as Voldemort cut out and the Containment wards went down. Sirius had had just enough time to get Harry out before the curses had started firing. Snape had been there with the Dark Lord, and after the Dark Lord left, he was just spray and praying to save position.

Remus took Kingsley and Flitwick to Grimmauld place that night. There, they destroyed their Amulets, and swore allegiance to the Black Order.

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( James Black/Harry Potter)

" **Heir Black, this is Messer Abil Thibodeaux , Master Wandsmaker and Crafter extraordinaire!"**

The man at the counter smiled a salesman smile, " **Yes, you always flatter me, Messer Royeaux. Is this Lord Siri's son? James Black?"**

** " Indeed it is, Master Thibodeaux."**

Thibodeaux wiped a tear from his eye, speaking to James, " **Your father helped me get the loan to start this business. His money was the life's blood of my craft shop! I am guessing you will need a new wand?"**

James smiled, " **I most certainly am, Master Thibodeaux. My old wand was Phoenix with holly, around eleven inches or so."**

** " Ah, your wand must have been very similar to Harry Potter's wand! Yes, we do so wish he would come to France instead of staying with those ungrateful English. But I digress. You are right handed?"**

James held both hands up, " **Ambidextrous actually. I recently discovered that I can write rather well with my left hand as well as my right."**

The wand crafter smiled, and pulled out several large gemstones. He handed James a potion, " **Drink that, and place your hands over these boxes. It is this way that we shall determine the shell crystal, and whether you can use two wands or not."**

James took the bitter potion, and placed both hands near the boxes. The white one began to shine brightly, as did the ruby one. Thibodeaux smiled, " **Two it is then. Ruby and Diamond. Now, drink this potion. It will negate the other and allow us to choose your cores."**

James drank the blue potion, which tasted much better than the first. Thibodeaux gestured for him to move his hands over the boxes on his shelves with his eyes closed. James did so, and felt eight vibrations. Thibodeaux commented to Cheval, " **I should hope money is not a problem to you, Messer Royeaux?"**

He turned to James, " ** For the Ruby Wand, the cores of Basilisk Venom, blood of Nundu, Tears of the Damned, and Balefire. For the Diamond wand, the cores of Tears of the Phoenix, Liquid Star, Essence of Novae, and Solar Flare. Wands of almost completely opposite formation. The Ruby Wand, is a Wand of Destruction, potent, powerful, and a blood drinker. It is best used for offensive work. The Diamond Wand is a wand of Light. Powerful, dazzling, yet demonstrative and destructive in its own right, it is best used for defense, but has perhaps more power than the Blood Drinker."**

Cheval shivered nervously, glad that he hadn't brought Guillaume and Lenore with them into the wand shop. He asked, " **Do you know what a Blood Drinker is?"**

** " Nope."**

Thibodeaux answered, " **A blood drinker wand is a wand that grows more powerful with each successive kill or injury. Draw blood, and it gains power. It will heal you in battle using the power of the enemy against them. It is a potent, yet forbidden weapon. I am amazed that you would require such a wand."**

James was surprised too, but then again, he should have been used to having unique equipment by now. Thibodeaux told them to be back in a day or two, so James and Cheval left to find Guillaume and Lenore. Surprisingly, Lenore was at a French branch of Quality Quidditch Supplies, which James owned. She practically leaped when he said that he was good at Quidditch too. She told him, " **I've been told that I'm almost as good a flier as Harry Potter. This coming from Madame Maxime herself!"**

James, being Harry Potter, felt his heart leap into his throat when she practically shouted that to the store, but kept himself under control. He knew she knew he was good, and just wanted him to admit it, as well as a standard to compare herself to. James was aware of the fact that the only person in Europe who was a better flyer than he was, was Viktor Krum. And even Viktor had been impressed with that Dragon stunt….

He decided to pick up the newest broom, called Starfall. According to Lenore, it was the newest broom, and while it wasn't quite as fast as a Firebolt, it left it far behind in terms of maneuverability. Something James quickly learned, was that while Quidditch was still popular in France, they weren't ready to kill themselves if the Season was stopped. James chuckled at when Ron had practically declared that the world was ending because a lockout had cancelled the season. Most of this was because the French National Teams, well, they weren't that good. Scratch that, the Chudley Cannons would be undefeated if they played in France. In short, they all sucked. The French were so used to being utterly embarrassed by Powerhouse teams like Ireland and Bulgaria, they just didn't pay that much attention to it anymore. There was even talk of not fielding a National Team in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Lenore chuckled sweetly at that notion, " **Not likely though. Hey, we'll be old enough to try out for it though, so maybe we can help get our nation back to respectability?"**

** " Did you forget that I'm English? Oh well, I do live in France, so I guess I can help. Not that Britain as a whole has ever done much for me."**

Lenore giggled, but didn't say anything else until they found Guillaume, who was at the local Bookstore. Guillaume tossed a large spellbook at James, " **We're in the same year, me and you, so I went ahead and picked up all the books for us while you and father were getting your wand. It appears you also ran across my wayward sister. Enjoying the pain of French Quidditch? Lenore still holds delusions that she can fly."**

** " You shouldn't put your sister down like that.**" James said a little too harshly. He hadn't meant too, but it reminded him of the Weasleys, and he, well, he was still pissed about that. Lenore beamed at his remark. James decided to lighten the mood, " **Well, I'm pretty good myself. Maybe I could help when they hold tryouts for the National Team next year?"**

Guillaume chuckled, " **Given the state of French Quidditch, you're probably the best player in the country right now. All the good players leave to play in other countries. Amazing how little patriotism there is amongst the professionals isn't it? Except Krum. He plays on a shitty team just because he's from Bulgaria."**

James sighed, " **Yeah, I saw them at the World Cup two years ago. Krum's the only player on the whole team. Ireland beat the piss out of them. The only reason it was close was because Krum was vastly superior to Lynch."**

Lenore laughed at James, " **That's about right. I was there, father took me as a birthday present. We had luxury seats, but not Top Box. Where were you?"**

** " Top Box. The father of a bunch of old friends of mine called in some favors with the British Head of Sports, Ludo Bagman."**

** " That's nice. What happened to them?"**

James hesitated, " **You don't want to know."**

** " Oh, ok."**

_At least they can take no for an answer. My old friends would have been trying to tear me apart to find out what. It's also nice to not be the Boy Who Lived to them either, _James thought with disdain. He was starting to like this new life of his. Maybe he wouldn't go back to Britain….

Then, a female voice shouted his other name, " Harry Potter?"

James turned to see a girl with solid black hair, obsidian colored, so dark that you could see glints of sapphire blue in it, and amethyst purple eyes walking his way. James hadn't even thought about this girl until a few weeks ago when Sirius told him about that ancient contract. He hissed in English, " Daphne, don't call me Harry in public. I'm kinda hiding."

She muttered, " Sorry."

" Why are you here?" he asked as he led her towards a more secluded part of the store. She answered, " My family always takes holidays in France. My father said I should keep a lookout for you. Tracey was upset she couldn't come this year, but I hear that her father was really upset when your godfather brought up the contract."

" That's because Sirius was supposed to marry Lord Davis' sister, but he put it off too long. When he got sent to Azkaban, the contract was defaulted and it was passed on to me. According to Sirius, he and Maria were old friends, and when Sirius was forced to quit his job as an Unspeakable, she had decided to marry him to help him. A typical love story. When he was sent to Azkaban, it tore her up so bad that she killed herself three days later."

Daphne cut her eyes, " I am sorry Potter. I guess that is why Tracey wouldn't be happy to see you. My father spoke lovingly of you though, which is strange, given your Gryffindor History."

" Did he now?"

Daphne nodded, " He even told me to stop calling you just Potter. He told me that the versions of all the stories I heard in Slytherin were basically only half truths. When your Godfather told us the real versions….well, I almost pissed myself at the basilisk part. But you did it to save a Weasley! I know that you likely won't want to be questioned about your past, but why?"

" The basilisk was a menace that had to be stopped. Remember that I was friends with them at the time. I did it because Hogwarts was my home back then. It was the only thing that kept me alive. I don't know how much longer I would have lasted with those curs the Dursleys."

Daphne fiddled with one of her emerald earrings, " Your godfather said something about the Dursleys. He didn't say much, only enough to make anyone with sense want to kill them a thousand times over."

" The real Dursleys were so much worse than I actually tell anyone. And to think that Dumbledore left me there! I should have known that he was playing me like a deck of cards earlier."

Daphne looked at the man she had once considered the Gryffindor Golden Boy, and pondered his real life story. How he had been manipulated his whole life. How he had spent his childhood with Muggles that made the Inquisition look tame. How he never had public opinion on his side…. " Well, Harry. You know this one thing. Even if I could get out of this contract, I won't. Not just because, well, my father wasn't able to produce sons so he wants one of your younger sons to have the name Greengrass-Potter. I hate Malfoy like you do. If it doesn't favor his point of view, then he makes it look really bad. You would be surprised how many times I heard one of your 'friends' telling your stories. They weren't exactly hailing you as the messiah you know."

" I wouldn't have wanted them to. But I also realize that those people weren't really my friends. I don't know if it is true or not, but everyone involved tells me that my theory is correct. That Dumbledore set me up so that I would meet the Weasleys. A seemingly happy family despite being dirt poor. Something I never had. He knew I would gladly have traded all the gold in all of my vaults just to have my parents back. Then he sends Hagrid of all fucking people to explain the Wizarding World to me. Hell, the oaf was expelled when he was in third year! How the hell was he supposed to teach me anything? Then I magically make friends with Ron, am in position to save Hermione from the troll. You know. It just seems too damn suspicious."

Daphne performed a Time charm with her wand. She smiled sweetly at James, " I'm sorry I never got to know you at Hogwarts, but understand that me, Tracey, and Blaise didn't exactly have it easy in Slytherin either. We do have survivalist natures."

" Then you're engaged to the wrong person."

Daphne hit him with a Stinging hex, " Shut it Potter. I didn't have a choice, and neither do you. I, however, would suggest getting to know that girl you were hanging out with back at that store. I think that even though you already have three wives, she might come to accept you for what you really are. One thing you must get through that Gryffindor skull of yours, is that not everyone around you is going to die just by association with the man who's going to be the Greatest Wizard of all time, well, if you read the Prophet these days."

James nodded. She gave him a chaste kiss to depart with, leaving James flushed red. Despite all his 'Sirius Way of Love' lessons, his bad memories of Cho always surfaced when he was near girls. He returned back to Lenore and Guillaume, who were now with Cheval. He smiled a real smile.

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( Hogwarts)

" Albus?"

" Yes Minerva?" Dumbledore answered his lieutenant. He immediately frowned when he saw the look on McGonagall's face. It was never a good sign when Minerva was upset or nervous. She had been his second in command for years, and he knew this wasn't good. He muttered, " Lemon Drop for the nerves?"

" No thank you Albus. It appears that Mr. Potter has transferred schools."

Dumbledore spit out the Lemon Drop he had been sucking on, " WHAT?"

" You heard me. His target school is not listed. I expect he fled to America."

Dumbledore sank back in his chair, " Unbelievable. That boy has played us like fools again. First Sirius Black interrupts a Death Eater Raid I had Snape manufacture, not mention that he's still alive for that matter. I can't believe that Black and Potter are single handedly giving me my ass on a platter."

" The Blacks are well known for their espionage, Albus. You should know this by now. You've seen two generations of them!"

Albus sighed, " I guess you're right. The Blacks live for this type of behind the door, under the cellar type of double dealing. Then Fudge threw Potter's case out too. That sorry asshole, just trying to save face, because it is obvious he's done as Minister. The people want him dead, and they want ME dead too. Can't they see all of this is for the Greater Good?"

" Albus, that reasoning gets old sometimes. Surely you have another more justifiable reason? "

" Minerva, I don't need you against me right now. I'm losing followers like crazy. Fillius resigned this morning."

Minerva's eyes went wide, " He did what?"

" Flitwick announced his retirement this morning. He disappeared near where Grimmauld Place 12 is. I can only surmise that he has joined the Order of the Blacks. Same with Kingsley. The Weasley Twins left the Order of the Phoenix as well. We're losing everything we've built! Those twins were a valuable source of capital for our Order! What are we going to do?"

Minerva hung her head, giving Dumbledore another sheet of parchment, " I apologize for being the bearer of bad news, but it also appears that Severus has also resigned. While I say good riddance, to do so with only two weeks left before classes is an insult!"

Dumbledore frowned, " Then Sirius found a way to break Severus' mind charms then. As you know, he and Sirius were mortal enemies when they were in school, but when Sirius joined the Unspeakables, something changed between the two…."

_Flashback…_

_ Dumbledore strode into the Department of Mysteries to see Sirius Black and Severus Snape chatting it up like old friends. Like so many others before him, he had to make sure his glasses hadn't been pranked, and he made sure to pinch himself too. Sirius saw Dumbledore's reaction, and laughed at him. He explained, " Severus was assigned to be my Potions Master. Hard to work together if you let an old school rivalry get in the way."_

_ Snape chuckled, " Yeah, Potter was pissed when you told him about that, remember? The look on his and Lily's faces were priceless."_

_ Sirius tapped his goblet, and it filled with wine, " That was awesome. Nice to see no hard feelings between you and Lily about that little incident a few years ago."_

_ Snape faked being surprised, " Feelings? Hard feelings? Pssh, I doubt Lily's felt anything other than anger at me since then. Oh well, we weren't exactly on the fast track to being a couple now were we? I'm sure you recall that most of Gryffindor hated her for hanging out with me."_

_ Sirius added, " Me, James, Remus, and Peter included. Things had been icy between you two anyway hadn't it?"_

_ Snape sighed, " Yeah… I guess that back when me and Lily first met, it was just me, her, and her sister Petunia. Then she got all these other friends, and they all hated me. Couldn't understand why she would hang out with the 'trashy son of that mad wife beater Tobias'. When your father is a well known wife and child abuser, you aren't in for a good social life. The fact that I was in Slytherin, which was a Death Eater whore house at the time, still is for that matter, didn't help either. So glad I didn't take that Mark. I may have doomed myself, but nonetheless, I have good paying job, and I put food on the table. All I can really ask for."_

_ Sirius cuffed Snape on the shoulder, " Now all we have to do is get you laid!"_

_ Dumbledore walked away from the scene that he was still sure was a result of a prank. But things began to pop in his mind. If he could somehow wipe Snape's mind, and get him to join the Death Eaters…._

_End Flashback…._

" I always thought something was odd about Severus during those last few meetings. He didn't seem to be nearly as…reclusive and self absorbed. I guess I should have noticed something was up when he complimented Harry for baiting Hermione into breaking him free."

Albus chuckled, " Yes, we all should have. I put some pretty nasty, not Dark mind you, but definitely borderline, mind charms on Severus to amplify his feelings of jealousy and anger towards James. That memory shows that Severus was pretty much over everything that had happened in school, and hell, he seemed to be friends with the man who almost got him killed! So I felt the need to change him some. With the new charms on his mind, he was 'compelled' to join the Death Eaters."

Minerva's jaw dropped, " Albus! You ruined a man's life! For what, gold, power? And you had better not say the Greater Good. No wonder he was so surly!"

Albus laughed bitterly, " I imagine I could have done things better. But what's done is done. We need to find a way to get Harry back here though."

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( Beaubatons)

James' reaction to seeing Beaubatons was far more pronounced than the one he had felt when he had first seen Hogwarts. The school was a palace made of crystal! James walked next to Gabrielle, who was a First Year at Beaubatons, " **James? I know who you really are, but why are you here?"**

** " I had some trouble back home. Let us just say that Fleur knows the family I speak of."**

Gabrielle spat at her sister's name, " **I can't believe Fleur decided to marry that foul man Bill. He didn't seem that nice when she showed him to father."**

** " Because he isn't. A good portion of his family received payment of some sort to be my friends. I couldn't believe it myself, but it all made sense."**

Before Gabrielle could respond, Madame Maxime pulled him away from the student body, and into the Administrative building, which was a small crystal spire hardly noticeable in the shadow of the actual school. The half-giantess put some privacy wards up, and asked James, " 'Arry, it is good to see you alive and well. I am sorry to say zis, but you are healthier now zan you were in ze Tournament."

James laughed, " Well, I had a lot to worry about in that Tournament, not to mention that I grew up in an abusive home. My relatives wouldn't feed me for days sometimes. They hated magic a lot, but I rightly don't care about them anymore."

" And Dumblydor was ok with zis?"

James laughed even louder, " Ok with it? He left me there!"

The Headmistress simply shook her head, " I am sorry it 'as come to zis, 'Arry Potter. Had I known, I would have sent you an invitation to Beaubatons a long time ago."

James smiled, " I survived didn't I?"

" Based on what Siri said, zat is an amazing feat all in its own."

" I'm sure he embellished it a little."

Madame Maxime scowled, " You can't embellish memories, 'Arry. Now, move along. We don't have houses here in Beaubatons, but we do have teams and the such to promote intramural rivalry. I know for a fact zat you are a premier Quidditch Player, and zat you know Lenore. I 'ope she 'as told you about her own talent?"

James shrugged, " Not really. Since she knows who I am, she gets really nervous when we actually try to talk about her skill. Doesn't help her brother has a superiority complex rather like Hermione Granger's. She did tell me that one time you compared her to me though. "

" Oui, she is most magnific on a broom! She 'as professional Chaser stamped all over her."

James raised his eyebrows, " Hmm, she did seem to be pretty good when we had a pickup game. Her brother isn't too bad, but he's nothing compared to the guy who gets compared to Krum and the girl who gets compared to Harry Potter."

" Messer Royeaux is a much better duelist. He uses both sword and wand."

James was surprised, " Then he must be as nervous about his own skills as Lenore was. Because he never said anything about being a fencer and a duelist."

The doors to the Main Hall swung open, and James could see that Fleur had not exaggerated when she said that Beaubatons was magnificent. Unlike Hogwarts, the Great Hall wasn't draped with tapestries bearing the colors of the houses. Instead, the walls were decorated with certain ancient sigils that demonstrated the core values that Beaubatons enforced. James chuckled as he thought that Hogwarts' Core Values included a theme song about letting your brain rot. A glance at the students, and their pristine uniforms told him that he wouldn't be finding the French version of the Weasleys in this school.

Sirius had told him that while Hogwarts was considered a private school, being a boarding school for wizards and all, it still had its doors open to any wizard who could afford the tuition. Beaubatons, on the other hand, was a much more private institution. Only the privileged elite could afford the high tuition rates. Not like Hogwarts' rate of twenty thousand galleons was cheap, but the Beaubatons rate of two hundred thousand was enough to make James pass out, because of Dumbledore. He had just barely enough money to pay for it himself. Not that Sirius wouldn't have helped, but James felt better paying his own bills. He still felt numb whenever he ran his hands over his two wands. The diamond one had cost over a million galleons, and to think that Cheval could shove that out without even thinking was unreal. That kind of cost for a wand would make Malfoy shit himself.

James sat himself down at the table designated for Sixth years. He was next to Guillaume, who was talking anxiously to his friends. James jumped considerably when he saw two red heads with the exact same shade of red as the Weasleys. _Didn't I just get through thinking I would never find the French versions of the Weasleys?_ he thought with a jolt. Guillaume noticed, " **I know you have spoken of Weasleys before, James, but I assure you, these two are of a much different sort."**

He wasn't wrong. Though the fact that they were Weasleys wasn't lost to James, he noticed that the boy didn't have the freckles that Weasley men were famous for, and that the girl didn't have the infamous 'Molly Weasley Hawk Attack' stare. The girl's hair was a deep, crimson, almost blood like, red, deeper than Ginny's. The Male had lighter red hair, that looked more like orange flames. The male said in a proud voice, " **Viscount Martin Weasley at your service, Lord Black. I know you are English, so I must say that you probably know my unsavory cousin Ronald then?"**

** " Unsavory may be mistaken as an honorific for him, Viscount Weasley. "**

The sneer on the girl's face would make Snape proud, " **They live in a hovel! I have seen it one time. It was most despicable to look upon. Makes the noble Weasley name dirt. No wonder we are only looked well upon here in France."**

James chuckled, " **This will take some getting used to I am afraid. I will be honest, I shall advise you not to sneak up on me at night, or period. I have a history with the British Weasleys, and let me just say that it still burns in my mind."**

Martin laughed, his laugh was far different from Ron's, " **You will have to tell us one day. By the way, this is my sister, Simone Weasley. "**

James kissed her outstretched hand with apprehension. Would it be madness to think that he would be kissing the hand of a Weasley? It certainly would have been a few weeks ago. Simone was joking about Fleur Delacour, " **Why on Earth would the eldest daughter of one of the most respectable Veelas, and a very respectable French Lord, agree to marry one of our good for nothing cousins? She has no tastes that one does."**

James caught the tone of Simone's voice, and it didn't sound like this was her real opinion. Martin added, " **She deserved to be kicked out of her family. James? What's the noble system like in Britain?"**

** " I'm not too sure. My father was locked up in Azkaban for most of my life, and even then, he was still a fugitive until a couple of months or so ago. Most of that time was spent by my Aunt, Cassiopeia, trying to keep the Malfoys from claiming House Black, because of my other cousin, Narcissa, being married to Lucius Malfoy."**

Martin frowned, " **That would never have happened here in France. He would never have been put away with no trial."**

James chuckled at Martin, considering that his cousins were blood traitors and Dumbledore's right hand followers. James asked, " **How about some family history, Viscount Weasley?"**

Martin was thrilled, for a split second, he almost looked like Ron when talking about Quidditch. " **Why not? The Weasley family is descended of Godric Gryffindor, as you probably know. But, a few hundred years ago, our family splintered. My great-great grandfather got into a tremendous feud with the man who became the Father of the British Weasleys. Antonius Weasley was angry because his father wanted him to marry Kendra Flint, but he refused. He ran off, and married a Royeaux instead. He moved to France, and here we are. Magical French Nobility, whereas Antonius' brother ended up squandering his money on gambling. "**

** " So why are you Viscount?"**

** " My father was killed by runaway Death Eaters from Britain after the war. I became Viscount when I was old enough to do so."**

James looked at the noble cautiously. These Weasleys were still Weasleys, they just played a far different game than the ones back in Britain. Here, the stakes were much higher. The British Weasleys played with the only chip they had, an attractive daughter. They played a game to snare the Boy-Who-Lived, and in the end, all they lost really was his trust. If anything, they came out on the positive side.

The French Weasleys, on the other hand, played the Great Game. At any given moment, all their fortune, their power, and their nobility was at stake. James knew that Martin was what the Brits called the Head of his family. In Britain, setting up a Marriage contract was frowned upon. To these Game playing Nobles, it was seen as a necessary evil to achieve your goals. James knew he would have to keep a good eye on them.

Madame Maxime gave her beginning of the Year speech, complete with a welcoming that would have made Dumbledore proud. Guillaume showed James where the dorms that the Sixth years were. Unlike Hogwarts, students were allowed to roam at night at Beaubatons. James remembered Fleur saying something about how constricting the Hogwarts curfew was during the Tournament.

James was wandering one of the corridors, when he felt a presence behind him. He shook his wrists, and both wands fell into his hands. He stood stock still, shouting, " **Whoever is behind me, show yourselves, or the consequences will be dire**."

Simone's voice responded, " I know who you are James."

James' eyes went wide immediately, he was in trouble. His eyes quickly darted around the room, looking for a tactical advantage. He found none, so his tongue was going to have to do the work, " **And exactly who is that, Simone?"**

The noble replied, " Cut the act Harry Potter. I don't know what glamour you had on the scar, but you should have put some on the rest of your body as well. Maybe changed your eye color?"

" How did you know that I am Harry Potter?" James replied, putting up some privacy wards to make sure no one else came by.

She smirked," My brother may hate the British Weasleys, but I have at least the decency to communicate with them. A Ginevra Weasley spoke highly of you in a letter."

" I don't know what you are playing at, Simone Weasley, but if you have told those fools my whereabouts, then there will be problems."

Simone curled her lips in an angry sneer, " And what do you think you can do to my family? Until the ending of the business quarter in a few weeks, you're broke. You have no money because your fool of a father trusted Dumbledore too much."

Harry dropped all pretenses, not even referring to himself as James anymore. His emerald eyes flashed in deadly flame. " You shouldn't insinuate that I knew about that and had something to do with it. My father was an honorable man, Dumbledore wasn't."

" I'm only telling the truth, Potter. You have no money, you have no standing here in France. You're in my house. You had better learn the rules."

Harry smiled, " Then you should learn my number one rule then. No rules ever apply to me."

The scarlet haired woman raised a suspicious eyebrow, causing Harry to scoff, " Did you think I came here just out of desperation? That I had nothing? You're making the same mistake that Ginny and the rest of the British Weasleys made. You are underestimating me."

Harry crossed the distance between him and the noblewoman in a flash, is wand pointed at her chest, " I want you to know that when the time comes for me to strike, that I will strike without hesitation. Without remorse. I will not listen to you trying to beg for me to have mercy on them. I won't."

Simone narrowed her eyes, " I wasn't going to plead mercy for them. If they want mercy, then they had better do it themselves. I came to ask you about the Black Order."

Harry let a small smile creep into his face, " That isn't the only thing you came to ask about is it?"

The Harry that everyone thought they knew and loved wouldn't have picked up on her hesitation, but the new and improved one did, " Of course not. That is the only thing I came here for."

" Like I said, don't underestimate me Simone. My godfather's Aunt, Cassiopeia Black was a French Diplomat for sixty years. I know the tricks. If you want to fuck, then I'm ready and willing, just not on the first day. Being a loner myself, I know a fellow lone wolf when I see one. But I warn you, I'm already contracted for three wives."

Simone snorted, " Well, until you get married to them, which won't be quickly, because Gabrielle is only eleven now, you unfaithfulness won't matter. I've seen you making eyes at Guillaume's sister."

" I'm not at liberty to talk about my disenchanted love life. Just remember Simone, outside of this room, you must call me James Black. Under no circumstance will you tell your brother I am Harry Potter either."

Simone blushed, " I imagine he already knows. Just remember, we aren't as stupid as the Weasleys you know either. Now, I must go. Wouldn't do to miss the first day of classes because you stayed up all night would it?"

Harry, reverting himself back to James Black, left the room. He really hoped that the classes were better at Beaubatons than Hogwarts.

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(Back in Britain, Hogwarts)

" Sure is different without Harry here."

Ron scowled, " I know, but at least we don't have to worry about him leading us off into some do or die situation this year. Don't get your hair any more curly than it already is Hermione. If Harry comes back, well, it will be just like old times."

Ginny scowled as she looked up from the letter she was writing, " Except that he hates all of us now, and would probably kill us just as quickly as Voldemort would."

Ron glared at his sister, " I don't know about that. I mean, he was pissed, but I don't think he would kill us. Who are you writing to anyway?"

Ginny hit Ron with the Molly hawk stare, " My cousin, what's wrong with it?"

" You mean that French slag Simone?"

Ginny flushed redder than Ron, " She isn't that bad Ron. She may be a little stuck up, but she comes from noble stock, unlike us. It is to be expected that she look down upon us a little."

" Ginny, you know what Mum, and especially Dad, said about writing to her. They may as well not even have the last name Weasley."

Ginny seethed in anger, " Maybe if we didn't treat each other like the other was the scum on our boots, the sides of the family would get along better?"

Hermione asked, " I didn't know you two had French relatives."

Ron glared at Hermione, " The French Weasleys, or the Viscounts, came from the Weasley family just like ours. We are true descendents of Godric Gryffindor, as you recall, we found that out at Gringotts the day of the Will Reading. Well, apparently, our great-great grandfather, Garret Weasley, had a big argument with his brother, Antonius Weasley. His father then decided to settle their differences by giving them wives that they both had shown interest in. Antonius got really pissed because great-great-great grandfather contracted him to Kendra Flint. He ran off, and met this Erin Royeaux woman. They got married, and he inherited all this money from her side of the family. They became the Viscounts of Dunkirk, so yes, my relatives were the magical lords of Dunkirk during the Second World War. They treat us like scum."

Hermione wasn't satisfied, " Well, what happened to Garret?"

Ginny signed her letter, looked up at Hermione, " He got a bad case of Ludo Bagman syndrome. He gambled all of the Weasley estate away, until all we had left was the land that the Burrow is on. We still owe the debts, which is why Father never has any money. The Goblins put huge liens and garnishes on our family's wages for years. Our Accountant of a cousin got lucky, he was a Squib. Now he lives in some fancy house after his most recent promotion. All the Weasleys except us seem to get all the money."

Ron finished the story, " There's still a lot of bad blood between our line, which is the main line, the French Line, and the Squib's line. The squib had a magical daughter, and he sent her to Beaubatons too. "

Hermione frowned still, " Who are these Royeauxs?"

" French noble family. Purest of the Purebloods you might say. Not supremacists or anything, but they can trace their family line all the way back to a cousin of Louis the Sun King, who was the Magical Version of the Sun King. You might say they are French royalty, or they would be, if the Magical French Government hadn't gone with the same as the regular French government." Ron answered with a scowl on his face that scared Malfoy, who was trying to listen in from the Slytherin table. Ginny frowned, and put her letter away, despite a disapproving look from her brother.

Ron continued to explain what he knew about the Royeauxs, ignoring his sister's withering looks, " They have enough money to probably own the Malfoys as slaves. Not exaggerating either, I heard that during the French Revolution, the new French Ministry of Magic gave them all this money and land as a concession for killing all their cousins.

You see, the Magic Nobility took the revolution a lot worse than the Muggle ones did. So they fought back, and hard. They almost won it all back, but in the end, the Magic Ministry ended up giving the Nobility all these concessions and grants as a bribe to keep them quiet. The Royeauxs, being the heirs of the French throne, got all the money and jewels that they would have gotten had they taken the throne back, as well as the concessions granted to normal nobles. This was the cause of the Reign of Terror, because the Muggles found out about it, and thought the Magical Ministry was trying to reinstate the Monarchy, so they got really pissed, and started hunting Wizards so much that their leader, Robespierre, decided to hunt everyone. I hear that noble families like the Delacours still laugh about how Robespierre never caught any magicals, and ended up getting hunted by his own people."

Hermione was disgusted, " They got rich because the French Ministry of Magic failed in a revolution? That's disgusting!"

" No it isn't. It's just how it works. In history, there are winners and losers. The Royeaux won, so they got the spoils."

Dumbledore stood up, and declared that it was time for bed.

The next day, Simone got the letter from Ginny. She almost laughed at the letter, especially since Harry Potter was sitting next to her.

" _Dear Simone,_

_ How's life been treating you? It's been pretty bad out here in Britain. That psychopath of a Dark Lord Voldemort is back, and he's been terrorizing Britain ever since Harry Potter led us into the Department of Mysteries. Harry got arrested for using an Unforgivable. The good news is that Harry got off of the charges, though no one seems to know where he is. Then there was the farce of a Will Reading. I still can't believe the Goblins declared it to be false! Well, at least I know why now. I wasn't left anything anyway, but I still have to help pay off the debt when I got to work after Hogwarts! I didn't even get anything out of it! Fred and George were pissed too, they ended up losing a lot of their business and money from that Will too. And then we find out that Sirius wasn't even dead….._

_ Oh well, enough of my own troubles, always seems like most of these letters are full of my troubles. How is Beaubatons this year? Any new students you worried about? I know it's a lot different there than at Hogwarts, but what is it really like? Anyway, write back soon!_

_ Ginevra Weasley"_

James muttered, " **You should let me write the reply."**

Simone chuckled at the notion, but declined his offer, " **No, I don't think so. But should I tell her that there is one James Black here?"**

** " Go right ahead. I doubt she could make the connection."**

It was just then that James noticed he had a letter from Daphne, telling him that she was being pestered by Draco Malfoy ( again).

"_James Black,_

_ Well, another year at Hogwarts, and it sure is boring here without having to worry about what a Gryffindor fool like you might be plotting. Well, Dumbledore seemed really subdued without you here. Did you know that he's having to teach DADA himself this year? Snape and Flitwick both resigned just two weeks before term! They even had to resend the admissions letters, because the new guy, Slughorn, had a different Potions Textbook, and the new Charms teacher, Fleur Marie, had different texts too. I definitely remember her as being the Beaubatons Champion, but why isn't her last name Delacour anymore? She hasn't gotten married, yet, though I did hear that she was interested in Bill Weasley ( why I can only guess). Slughorn's a talking walrus. Although he definitely is more cunning than he looks, I still don't think he is worthy to be head of house for Slytherin. _

_ Well, Draco's being a real ass. He heard about that contract, and he's really pissed now. He tried to pull the whole, ' You Aren't technically Married Yet! That means screw everything in existence!' routine on me. Sorry, but he apparently doesn't realize that only applies to the guy right? I mean, if I do it, then I'm going to look like a whore ( not that most of Gryffindor doesn't already think that) , and it would really, really bad on you if I do it. Double standard yes, but something we deal with. But by no means let that hold you down. I still can't believe that I've been Draco's secret crush all these years. If you ever thought he was bad, then he was ten times worse to the Slytherins who didn't care about his opinions. Now all the sudden, he's coming clean. Did you feel like this when you found out Weasley and Granger were together? I mean, it is kind of strange. _

_ Tracey said she would write you tomorrow, so do me a favor and reply to this one. She probably won't be as nice as I am, so keep that in mind. She really didn't take kindly to your father coming in and pulling the whole contract that was originally for him, but was now passed down to you. I must confess, I've always been a little interested in you, at least for a Slytherin. But Tracey holds no such feelings. _

_ Yours in spirit and faith,_

_ Daphen Greengrass"_

James smiled softly to himself as he read the letter. At least one of his betrothed wasn't either way too young for his tastes, or hated him.

A/N: Next Chapter: Harry plays on one of Beaubatons' Quidditch Teams with Lenore, Sirius is back in Black at the Wizengamot, The Black Order gains more members, and Ginny receives a letter from her cousin Simone.

Comparison to look out for: Martin Weasley compared to Ron Weasley. Simone Weasley compared to Ginny.

Information Section:

Dragon Age references: Cheval ( Chevalier), Royeaux ( Val Royeaux), and the title Viscount come from Dragon Age, as well as the previous chapter's Serah.

**( French) Noble Weasley VS ( British) Pauper Weasley:** This is the idea that I got from Nightwing27's review. Well, the most we are ever told about the Weasley family, is that they've been poor for generations, Ginny is the first girl for generations, that Molly's maiden name is Prewitt, and that they have a Squib for a cousin. Since there is no adequately explained reason for their poverty, then I came up with a suitable one. As the reader may recall, the Goblins said in Chapter 1 ( Marauder For the Ages) that they knew the Weasley family history very well.

Viscount Weasley's Powers: Before anyone asks, Martin doesn't have a lot of powers over the Weasley family outside of France.

Other Related notes

French Names:

Guillaume: French equivalent of the Spanish Guillermo, which is William in English.

Thibodeaux: A name I ran across while playing NHL 2010 for a Montreal Canadian All-Pro.


	5. Chapter 4 Duality

Chapter 4 Duality: It Begins

A/N: To people still wondering how Dumbledore was able to escape with Harry's money, read John Grisham's " The King of Torts" Especially the part at the end where it describes how he took about three million dollars IN CASH, and hid it off shores.

Anime Rule Number 49: A small mask of any kind will render you completely unrecognizable to all your closest friends and family. Examples include Team Rocket.

Only in the Wizarding World would people be stupid enough to actually fall for that.

This is kind of a filler chapter, just keep that in mind.

Alright readers, I normally update a lot faster than this, but some sort of bug has been afflicting the FanFic Edit server, and I only just now got a go around. Thank you for your patience, and I reward you with several new chapters.

"_ A debt is the most powerful currency in the world. With it, a man can rule the world, and nobody would ever know who he was." _Rule number 5 of _Black Code of Conduct, _by Arcturus Black, Edited by Cassiopeia Black.

Sirius chuckled at Harry's newest letter. By the some grace of God, Harry had run across even more Weasleys in France. Only Harry would ever find more Weasleys to hang around with, though these seemed to be a lot different than the ones here in Britain.

Moony walked in, carrying a small glass of Firewhiskey in one hand, and a small manifesto in the other. Sirius asked, " Hey Moony? What you got there?"

" This is a list of all the supplies we are going to need to live here. Thank god everyone here is a Pureblood, or Kreacher would be trying to kill us. You remember how he was when the Weasleys were here."

Sirius frowned, he did indeed remember the cheeky and unsavory elf. Sirius had finally granted Kreacher his wish, and beheaded him. But he didn't put him up on the wall, he sent the head to Hermione Granger's house instead, but to his anger, he found that she wasn't living there at the moment. So his prank got ruined.

" Well, we have Flitwick, The Twins, and Kingsley now. I think we are systematically tearing the Order of the Phoenix apart."

Moony sighed in frustration as his Order Amulet burned. He said, " Sorry Padfoot, but it looks like Dumbass is calling another meeting. Got to go."

Sirius laughed as he said good bye to his friend.

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( Order Meeting)

The first thing Lupin noticed in the meeting, was the down feeling in it. Order Meetings were always either filled with almost uncontainable anger, or incredible hope. Never this down feeling of despair. Dumbledore was frowning so hard, Lupin thought he might cause Hermione to collapse in tears. Another instance of what Lupin was calling Harry's Emotional Control Outlet Syndrome, Hermione seemed to be in high spirits today. Why, Lupin would probably never know.

All the teachers who were present, including Fleur Marie, were upset that Dumbledore would call an Order Meeting on the First Day of Classes. The students weren't though, except maybe Hermione. Dumbledore opened the meeting, " Well, we have more troubling things to deal with these days. It appears that Sirius Black has emerged to be a bigger menace than Voldemort."

Minerva asked, " How so?"

Dumbledore answered, " Via some method, I was removed from Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, and Sirius was instated in my place."

Boy, Lupin really had to work hard to keep that poker face of his going. Of course, Lupin already knew about Sirius' plan. Bribe the shit out of the poorer houses, which were the primary sources of Dumbledore's support, and use them to remove him from power. It had apparently worked like a charm.

Ron asked, " So what is Black planning to do with his new power as Chief Warlock?"

Dumbledore answered, " My brother shall have to answer that. I was kicked out of the Wizengamot Meeting Room after my Warlock status was removed."

Aberforth stepped forward, " Sirius Black has made it his agenda to support relations with Magical France, Magical America, and Magical Germany. In return, he has already gathered oaths of allegiance to Britain should the conflict with Voldemort go global. We also found out that Sirius Black has a son."

Boy, you could hear a pin drop in the meeting. " His name is James Augustus Black, and his mother was Maria Davis. The records are completely official. He attends Beaubatons."

Minerva stuttered, " S-S-Sirius with a son? I never even thought he was considering marriage!"

Dumbledore pulled a sheet of paper out, " The Hogwarts Roster says that he was born on October the 31st, 1981. The same day as the fall of Voldemort. His mother died in childbirth. He is apparently very much like Sirius. He takes after him, even in his Marauder ways."

Aurora Sinistra muttered, " Then I guess it's good he never attended Hogwarts. The school would be gone, if he had been allowed to meet Harry Potter, which he surely would have. Add him into the Weasley Twins, I would be surprised if our school even existed by the end of his First Year."

Dumbledore inferred, " I believe that the boy could have been manipulated much in the same way Harry had."

Minerva answered, " Then you are a fool, Albus. Blacks are never manipulated, they are the puppet masters of us all and you know this. The Order of the Blacks is making us look like fools Albus! They are interrupting Death Eater raids that should have run without fail! People all over are asking, ' Why wasn't the Order of the Phoenix or the Ministry able to do this?' They saved Amelia Bones of all people, and He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named headed that raid himself!"

The mood of the Order meeting got even more dour after those cold truths were exposed. It was one of those times that Remus was happy to be a spy. They spent the rest of the meeting debating what to do about Sirius Black taking over the Wizengamot. The truthful answer was that they could do nothing….

Meanwhile, back in the Great Hall, Ginny Weasley was opening a letter from her cousin, Simone.

" _Hello Ginny. _

_I haven't heard from you in awhile, I was beginning to wonder what might have happened to you. Given that said Dark Lord is on the loose, I was a little worried that you may have been captured or killed. On my end, things are as normal. Still as lonely as ever, my brother isn't very protective of me, but given his station, most of the men are afraid to hang around me. Well, there is an exception. His name is James Black, and he's apparently the son of Sirius Black. He's a really nice guy, well, sometimes. He can be really abrasive, and sometimes he gets into these surly moods that just drive everyone nuts. _

_ He's rather popular, and he embraces it. He and the Royeaux family hit off really good, and he's rooming with them as an exchange student. Don't know what school he attended before, but he makes it sound like he was homeschooled. He's really good though. Martin's still being an ass. He jumped on me about writing to you again last night, but as per usual, I ignored him. Is your family like this?_

_ Simone Weasley"_

Hermione took a look at the letter, since Dumbledore had just dismissed the Order. She gasped, " Dumbledore said something about James Black today in the meeting."

Ginny scowled, " Nice to know I'm so loved here. After all, this was my letter, and you just come by and read it like it's your own."

Ron jeered, " Come on Ginny, we're all friends here. He sounds a little like Harry you know? The whole, ' He's a really nice guy, but sometimes he gets into these moods where he's really surly.' Doesn't that sound a lot like Harry?"

Hermione ignored Ginny's angry hiss, and took the letter from her hands, " You know, you're right Ron. But this isn't Harry. Embracing his popularity? Harry would rather have died than be famous."

Ron nodded, " Yeah, he would. But people change after emotional experiences…."

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( Beaubatons)

James walked through the pristine halls of Beaubatons after his first few classes. He immediately found them to be far more enjoyable than any he had had at Hogwarts. The Transfiguration teacher, a Canadian named Paul Bouchard, was far more agreeable and a more hands on teacher than McGonagall had ever been. He found himself learning Transfiguration at a much faster rate than before.

Another class he had never thought he would be good at, was Potions. Yet, without Snape hovering around him, James did significantly better than he had ever done before. It sure seemed like he really had inherited some of his mother's Potions skills.

James found that he looked forward to classes a lot more at Beaubatons, because everyone at the school took their studies seriously. Even though none of them would ever be confused with Hermione, they all had a drive to get their school work done as quickly as possible. Something that James caught onto quickly. They all said, " Work now, play later."

James chuckled as he thought of Ron's motto, " Work never, play all the time,", clearly he wouldn't have made it at Beaubatons. Even Lenore, who was a slacker compared to other students, got all of her homework done before James had the first day.

James found himself as a jack of all trades, but master of none at Beaubatons. While he was significantly better at all of his classes than he had been at Hogwarts, he was still best at Defense against the Dark Arts, which didn't have nearly the importance as Charms, Potions, or Transfiguration. Depressing at first, he found it cheering that he was still better than everyone else at DADA though.

Beaubatons didn't have houses, as such, it didn't have to overbearing House Rivalry that was so rife at Hogwarts, especially between James' old house of Gryffindor and Slytherin. But that didn't mean that Beaubatons didn't have a way of dividing the students when it came to extracurricular activities.

There were five teams. Anyone could play or compete on any team that they choose, only that they had to stay loyal to that team once they joined. Some, like Guillaume, never officially joined at team. Others, like Lenore, liked the team spirit and joined as soon as possible. One couldn't officially join until third year.

The Five teams were all named after the elements and had a gemstone signifying the element. They were: Fire, with Ruby as a gemstone. Water, with sapphire as a gemstone. Wind, with amethyst as a gemstone. Earth, with topaz as a gemstone. And Light with Diamond as a gemstone.

James found that, like Hogwarts, he was the best Seeker in the School. Similar to Hogwarts, being the best in school brought a lot of hype. But rather than about his next game, it was mostly about what he was going to do after school. Though some, like Simone and Martin, were die hard Quidditch fans despite the horrifying state of French Quidditch, most just wanted to see a good player for once.

There really weren't very many good players in Beaubatons. James literally flew circles around the Fire Seeker when he played for Light. James found that playing against Lenore, who was the Chaser for the Fire, was a nightmare. She flew circles around the rest of his team as well, accounting for all but one goal for the Fire team. The final score was 210-190….

The Dueling circles, on the other hand, were much more balanced. Like Madame Maxime had said, Guillaume was one of the best, if not the best, duelist in the school. Again playing for the light team, James found stiff competition against his first duelist. He finally won after an hour long match. His endurance had surprised everyone, and in the end, most of the staff was watching. James didn't face off against Guillaume though. This was coming up, and was set to be the headliner at the next duelists competition.

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( Hogwarts)

Ron was coming back from making a late report on his Prefect rounds, when he found a distraught Hermione in front of the Fat Lady Portrait. One look at the Portrait, namely that there was no Fat Lady in the portrait, told him all he needed to know. Their fellow Gryffindors had locked them out of the Tower. Again.

Hermione was sobbing, " Why do they keep doing this to us?"

Ron whispered, " You know exactly why they are doing this."

" I-I-It's about Harry and the Will."

Ron smiled grimly, " Yep. Such a shame they never showed so much unity when he was actually here, or maybe he still would be. I think the only reason McGonagall keeps us as Prefects is for access to the Fifth Floor Bathroom. At least we have somewhere to sleep at night."

" W-W-Would she really remove our Prefect status?"

Ron put his arm around her shoulders, " Face it Hermione, we can't do very much about controlling our housemates if we're locked out here all night. I know McGonagall's never cared too much about what happened in our dorms before, but with some 'revelations' that Sirius Black made over the Wizengamot and in the papers via a letter from Harry really hurt our house's reputation."

Ron frowned at that underhanded tactic. Harry had really hit them below the belt with that one. Six pages of the Daily Prophet were devoted to a verbatim copy of the letter. In it, Harry had revealed all the little things that had pissed him off over the years. How a Death Eater had snuck in, never mind that Death Eater was actually an Animagus. How all his Housemates turned on him not once, not twice, but three times. How Seamus Finnegan had requested a Dorm Change because he hadn't wanted to bunk with a ' Nutter and attention seeker'

Ron wondered if manipulating the press was something that the Blacks had taught Harry. According to Hermione, Sirius teaching Harry stuff was something that Dumbledore had made a big fuss about in the last Order Meeting, which Ron never paid much attention too anyway. But damn, that had really fired everyone else up. Draco Malfoy was strutting around the school like a buck during mating season. He clashed with anyone and everyone about Harry, and the worst thing was, he was right about a lot of his points.

Hermione whimpered a little, and Ron came out with it, " Hermione, we just need to get over it. Harry's not coming back unless they clap him in irons and drag him back with Hagrid's little brother manning the chains. Dumbledore would have to do something truly and completely insane to get Harry back here. You know we can't do anything either. He holds those Life debts over our heads like a four hundred kilo boulder. I almost wish he had let me die back at the DOM."

Hermione was incensed, " RON! How dare you think something like that?"

Ron raged back, " Face it Hermione! We can't do anything without Dumbledore's permission, or he'll take us as his slaves! That's how Life Debts work! You know he doesn't let us go on missions with him for a reason."

" So that we don't have a chance to save him…"

" Exactly! It's better to die a free man than live forever as a slave, and that's exactly what me and you are living as. The only person who can save you is Harry. The only way I can be saved is if someone kills Dumbledore or he dies of old age."

Hermione looked up at Ron, " Why Harry?"

" Your Life Debt to him from the Troll predates your debt to Dumbledore. Thus, it has precedence. I don't care how much Harry hates us, at least he would use us. Dumbledore doesn't risk us in any way! The only way either of us would die, is if Draco suddenly goes off the deep end and attacks us."

Hermione whispered, " You're right Ron. Dumbledore owns us, and he always has. If only Dumbledore hadn't arrived so early…."

Ron hissed, " Hermione, I got to read a little of Harry's journal one day. You know those old homework planners you gave us?", she nodded, " Well, Harry deactivated the reminder charms, and started to use it as a journal. At the bottom of every page, was the same line. Want to know what it is?"

Hermione nodded. Ron whispered, " 'Your life is yours alone. Live it as you choose.'"

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( Beaubatons)

" **You ready James?"**

James sneered at Guillaume, " **Hell yeah I am."**

Madame Maxime was the referee for their match. The whole school, literally, was sitting in the audience. There was an almost even split between Light and Fire, though even the Light supporters were placing money on Guillaume. James smiled openly. They'd never seen the man who had dueled Lord Voldemort twice now have they?

Madame Maxime ordered them to begin, and the first thing Guillaume did was conjure some cover. James noticed this, and began to prepare a spell to hit him in cover. He began to conjure his own cover on the battlefield, one of the first things he had learned at Beaubatons. Bombardment curses rained down on his little bunker. Quick reflexes enabled him to fire off a fireball spell he had just learned, called Augue.

Guillaume rolled away, and fired a spell while he was still rolling. The curse caught James so off guard, that only instincts allowed him to dodge it. James thought of a new plan. He began to trap the arena. James ran in circles around his opponent, who stood still in the middle of the arena, content to block his spells.

Sending a trio of Stunners at Guillaume, James leapt into a trap ridden part of the arena, and cast several illusion charms on himself. He lay and waited for Guillaume to enter his booby trapped section of the arena.

One of the judges muttered to another, " **Messer Black is a smart one. Interesting tactic he has chosen."**

But the crowd didn't think it was very interesting. In fact, they were booing like crazy, even Lenore. This wasn't the type of battle they came to see. They came to see a spell frenzy. But when you have two cerebral opponents facing off against each other, that rarely tends to happen.

James watched as Guillaume smiled, and began to disable some of his spells. That's when James struck. Lightning fast, four stunners came out, and Guillaume didn't have time to block all of them. The crowd booed like crazy when James was declared the winner. Lenore shouted at him, " **Underhanded!"**

James smirked, " **I'm a Black. We're famous for it."**

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( Wizengamot)

Sirius sat at the Chief Warlock's station, feet propped up on his podium, getting several disapproving glares from traditionalists. He was picking his teeth after a good lunch. The plan worked like a charm. Bribe the shit out of Dumbledore's mostly poorer houses, and then have them turn on him. Then, lock them in so they can't do the same to you.

Sirius smiled at the success of this rather rash, but not that unheard of, plan. No doubt, they had sent a hell of a statement today though. Snake had reported that Voldemort had shifted into a state of no movement for God only knows why. Even with the news of a notorious prankster taking the helm of the Wizengamot, he thought that Voldemort would be making some moves now.

Amelia felt the same, and had begun to take almost extreme measures to keep assassination attempts to a minimum. Following the Black Guide to staying alive, she basically blockaded her office. The Floo could only be used by the fireplace at Grimmauld Number Twelve, she spoke to guests using a microphone, and booby trapped the hell out of the hall leading to her office, and putting special wards all over the place. She saw no one in person, except Sirius, who made sure to put some of his Imperious breaking wards up, as well as wards that could break through Polyjuice potion. In short, Madame Bones was going through a Mad-Eye Moody kind of paranoia streak, but having the Dark Lord himself lead a raid against you can do that.

Most of the laws were proposed by Sirius, and they mostly involved rooting out the Order of the Phoenix to limit Dumbledore's rebound capability. For example, it was now illegal to be part of a Non-Ministry approved vigilante group if you were a Ministry employee. Naturally, the Order of the Blacks was the only Ministry approved group.

Lucius Malfoy was given a very public trial and execution. Narcissa had been his judge, jury, and executioner, explaining how he constantly cheated on her with guys, and how he didn't even let her see her son when he was younger. All of it was perfectly true as well. Lucius Malfoy, Voldemort's number one espionage agent, was executed via Dementor's Kiss.

Due to some very subtle manipulations by Sirius, Narcissa inherited the Malfoy fortune rather than Draco. Sirius had never officially nullified her marriage, and because Lucius thought himself immortal, he died 'Intestate', meaning he didn't have a Will. Most of the fortune went to Narcissa directly, and the rest of it was sent to her either by Sirius, or by the Ministry seizing it.

Sirius' next law was the legal seizure of the fortunes of any convicted Death Eater, and the authorization to use whatever force necessary to convict a suspected Death Eater. In this way, nearly thirty Death Eaters from rather prominent families, were convicted and their fortunes seized. Sirius redirected the money to form a much larger Auror contingent. He instituted a Draft, forcing Wizards and Witches to join a Hit Squad, the base forces of the Ministry's Army. Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of people quick to sign up at first, but after the initial blitz, the draft had to be used.

Entire families were conscripted into the forces. Sirius remembered seeing Katie Bell, both her parents, all four of her grandparents, and both her older sisters in a single conscripting class. The Weasley Twins eagerly joined in as Non-Combat/Lower Echelon suppliers to grant the Ministry forces some 'tricks' to use in battle. Some joined because they had nothing to lose, like Mundungus Fletcher, finally caught for all his stealing and smuggling. Others because they wanted too.

Sirius was surprised at the amount of Hogwarts Seventh Years forgoing their last year of education to enlist. The one thing they did grant was a pass to Students. Thus far, only Katie had decided to use this route, feeling that she didn't know enough defense. Unfortunately, Bell had taken off as soon as Sirius had signed the waiver, supposedly off in Bulgaria, playing for the National Team. Sirius checked over his overall numbers. He did a double take, because he hadn't been certain that Britain contained 200 wizards and witches to devote to pure combat.

Snake's next report, about a week later, said that Voldemort had started to recruit from the Continent. This was worrying, because it meant that Voldemort now knew that he was outnumbered considerably. Sirius' biggest concern was what would Dumbledore do to counter this.

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( Hogwarts)

" Dumbledore's doing what?" Daphne practically shrieked at her friend, Tracey Davis. Tracey smirked, " He's enlisting students. Those that won't sign up, are forced to sign. All the Muggleborns are already signed up. Dumbledore forced them by acting in Loco Parentis."

Daphne looked around, " We've got to get out of here Tracey!"

" Why don't you have your boyfriend, Potter get us out then?"

Daphne glared at her friend, " Tracey, he's your boyfriend too. And he can't get us out! He's somewhere I can't reveal!"

" We need to leave before the Headmaster can force our signature."

Draco laughed at the two, " I told you two that staying neutral was a mistake."

They both looked at Draco in anger, and left the Great Hall. They continued to bicker.

" Daphne, write to Potter. Scratch that, write to Sirius Black. He might be able to help us."

" Alright, but only if you do too, Tracey. It'll mean a lot to him if a Davis should write to him."

They both scrambled to the Owlery as quickly as possible, avoiding all teachers and Prefects. They both scribbled notes hastily, and sent Daphne's owl out to Sirius Black, hoping that it would get there before Dumbledore could find them.

They hastened out of the castle to await the owl. They knew that staying in the castle was a bad idea, because being the dick that he is, Draco would have ratted them out by now. They weren't exactly right. Their friend Blaise Zabini ratted them out instead.

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(Sirius)

Sirius shouted, " THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!"

Moony shouted back in the Wizengamot Chamber, " ITS IN THE CHARTER! THERE ISN'T ANYTHING WE CAN DO FOR THE MUGGLE BORNS!"

Snape finally lost his cool, screaming, " EVERYONE SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Everyone quieted down at the voice of the normally quiet Potioneer, " We need to calm down everyone. We aren't stopping Dumbledore or the Dark Lord by sitting here screaming our asses off at each other now are we?"

Narcissa, who was slightly hoarse, agreed, " Exactly! We can't go marching after Dumbledore, because that isn't the Black way. We need to stop this. I know Dumbledore's done some outrageous things, but conscripting students into his own army? "

Sirius muttered, " Wouldn't be so bad if last year, Harry hadn't started that DA thing. Basically giving him legal precedence to start his own army."

Cassiopeia was angry, which was never good, " There isn't anything we can do. If there was, then I would have found it by now. We have to sit back and watch. Who will make the first move? Who knows. But we cannot be caught unwares like now."

The Order of the Blacks all nodded, aware that they had been surprised. It would not happen again.

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( First and Second Year in France Over)

Harry's first year in France was one of getting used to many things. For example, he had to get used to removing and activating Translation charms all the time. He figured he would eventually learn French.

Harry's skill as a Duelist increased significantly over his two years at Beaubatons. Offensive magic made a significant portion of the Seventh Year Curriculum. Harry was probably better prepared than any student at Hogwarts.

He decided to try-out for the French National Team in the middle of his Last year. He made the team after the first drill. Lenore joined the year after he did, juggling her studies for her sixth year while playing professional Quidditch. France finished Number One overall for the first time in the history of the World and European Cups. France took the European Championships with an undefeated record, the first recorded feat since Italy did it the first year of its existence. Harry missed only one Snitch, but they still won by virtue of his Chasers. They secured the Number One Seed for the World Cup. They lost to Bulgaria in his first World Cup. Given the Three Year Qualifiers, this year's being an exception because of the Lockout the year before, he would have to work until his fifth year in France for redemption against a Bulgaria Team that had played without Viktor Krum due to injury.

Using this new fame, Harry quickly catapulted to fame and glory under the name of James Black. Using better glamour charms to distort his appearance more than before, Harry embraced this fame, and used it to become one of the most beloved persons in Magical France, even if he was English. The bars in Paris always let him drink for free.

On the other fronts, Sirius cemented his position as De Facto Ruler of Magical Britain. While he couldn't get rid of Dumbledore, and Voldemort was lying as low as you can get without literally vanishing off the face of the earth, Sirius had undisputed control over Magical Britain. And he had done it the Black Way.

Daphne and Tracey were able to escape Dumbledore with the help of Sirius. This was even after their only male friend, Blaise Zabini, had turned them into the Headmaster. A cadre of Black Order members, led by Fillius Flitwick, Alastor Moody, and Kingsley Shacklebolt, ambushed Dumbledore, and drove them off.

Cheval Royeaux was more than happy to take on two more exchange students ( **I have too much money and nothing to spend it on)** so Harry got to know his two relatively unknown betrothed quite well. Tracey was cold and icy to Harry, rather upset that the only reason she was due to marry him was because of Sirius Black. Daphne, on the other hand, was rather open and happy about the whole thing.

Guillaume became a professional Duelist, though he always took time off to watch his friend and sister play Quidditch. Viscount Martin Weasley tried to hoof it out on his own, but a failed assassination attempt by Voldemort's Death Eaters sent him running to the Order of the Black. Simone Weasley is still a loner, though rumors of her having an affair with a man named James Black run abound. An even less likely rumor, is that she had an affair with Sirius Black. She stays primarily at the Royeaux Manor outside of Paris, which has quickly become the French HQ for the Order of the Blacks.

Hermione and Ron began to get more serious ( Sirius?) about their relationship, especially after their talks of Living their own lives as they choose to do so, despite never being able to do so. This led to the next momentous event this tale. Fourth and Fifth years.

(Dumbledore Figures it Out)

Despite the three year lull in all activity outside of the Order of the Blacks, neither Dumbledore nor Sirius were completely forgetting Voldemort. They both knew he was out there somewhere, and where was the Game Winning Question.

Remus Lupin, still the Black Spy after three years, sat at another Order Meeting. Dumbledore had been calling a lot of them lately, and this was worrying Sirius and Moony. They thought he was getting close to something, and was making plans.

Lupin's fears were confirmed when Dumbledore threw a French Newspaper down on the table. The Headline was **James Black Wins Again over England!**

Under the headline was a picture with Harry hugging a girl with sunlight blonde hair after the victory, and several people gathered for the celebration. Lupin vaguely felt the color leave his face in time for him to look up at the smug look on the Headmaster's face. He said in a little more than a whisper, " I've found Harry"

Lupin had worked for three years to perfect his Severus Snape style poker face, but boy he was working overtime to keep here. Dumbledore smiled, the twinkle in his eye going full force, " Now we only need to get the boy back here."

Minerva, who the last three years had treated rather badly, hissed, " After three years you found him?"

Dumbledore nodded, and Hermione took up the paper, " Why do we need him here?"

Dumbledore smiled, " It is time for you all to hear the Prophecy."

Lupin, of course, couldn't believe the absolute bullshit of a prophecy that Dumbledore had based the last twenty years off of. Seriously, Trelawney was an absolute fraud if there ever was one. McGonagall was furious, " Albus! You've been using this as your motivation for the last twenty years?"

Albus smiled softly, " Not all of it. Some of it was for gold, power, glory. Others were just for the Greater Good."

Sinistra muttered, " Sorry to interrupt, but we need to get back on topic. How are we going to get Potter back here if he's in France?"

" Not to mention a highly respectable, famous Quidditch player who has taken some rounds on the Dueler's Circuit too." Ron muttered with a little disdain.

" I assure you, that nothing he has learned in France will make him a match for me."

Lupin almost laughed at Dumbledore's self-assuredness. Suddenly, Dumbledore dismissed everyone except McGonagall, Ron, Hermione, and Sinistra.

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( Dumbledore)

"You four are the only ones I can truly trust these days. I have good reason to believe that Lupin is a spy. Now, we start the real meeting. Any ideas about what to do about Potter?"

McGonagall looked at the paper, " I don't see why we need to break up his life, Albus. He looks happier in this picture than anytime I ever saw him here at Hogwarts. I'm certain that if we allied ourselves with the Blacks, then we could easily take out Voldemort."

Dumbledore absolutely wouldn't hear that argument, " I've shown you the prophecy. Now you know that it has to be Harry to defeat Voldemort. We need him back here, and I am prepared to do anything necessary to get him back here. Ms. Granger, I want you to give me your opinion. What is the best way to strike at Mr. Potter?"

Hermione answered, " Attack his friends. Put them in danger. Do something to them, and he will come running back for revenge. I would suggest this girl, the one in the picture."

Ron read the caption for the picture and paled. Dumbledore asked, " Is there something wrong, Mr. Weasley?"

" That's Lenore Royeaux, the daughter of Cheval Royeaux. If we attack her, we will be in some really deep shit. Pardon my language, but that's the absolute truth."

Dumbledore wasn't impressed, " And why is that, Mr. Weasley?"

" The Royeauxs are the richest family in France, and they hold a lot of power over their government. I don't know if Jean would be able to hold off a vengeful Cheval, saying nothing of his Professional Duelist of a son. "

Dumbledore looked smug, " I've dealt with vengeful parents before. Nothing I can't handle."

" Professor, you don't understand. Attack this girl, and you might start a war between Magic France and Magic Britain! The Royeauxs hold that type of political clout! They're like the Potters and Blacks here!"

Dumbledore only smiled, " I know what I'm doing, Mr. Weasley. Now, to give Mr. Potter an even better reason to come back, Mr. Weasley, I want you to marry Ms. Granger."

McGonagall's jaw hit the floor, " Albus! You can't be serious! You can't force two people to marry!"

Ron muttered, " Actually, he can force us. We owe him Life Debts, we do what he wants, or he makes our lives even more of a living hell than they already are."

So the plans were set. Dumbledore was going to wait until the World Cup Semi Finals, which France would no doubt host, because they were clearly one of the best teams in the world. Dumbledore himself would lie in wait for them. Meanwhile….

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( Return of the Dark Lord)

Snape found himself in Nurmengard, a funny place for the Dark Lord to call a meeting of his Death Eaters. For four years, he had kept them on standby, but basically had disbanded the Death Eaters until he was ready for combat. Suffice to say, it caught Severus off guard when he woke up to get breakfast, and his Dark Mark started burning.

The Dark Lord sat on the Throne of Nurmengard, with the body of Gellert Grindelwald pinned up to the wall behind him. Voldemort hissed at his bowing Death Eaters, " Rise my servants."

Snape looked around, and saw that Voldemort had been recruiting himself. Nearly five hundred wizards were stationed throughtout the fortress. Though Sirius Black had recruited/conscripted nearly the entire Magical Population of Britain into the Ministry's Army, these men looked like they could level the odds.

The Dark Lord spoke, " My friends, we have risen again. The time has come for us to step up, and take back that which has been taken from us. Dumbledore has foolishly attempted to bar us from the nation, yet I know he has a plan. He knows that Harry Potter is in France, and will be playing in the World Cup Semi Finals. A Death Eater attack would draw too much attention, but I have a different plan."

Snape watched as the Dark Lord made plans to kidnap Lenore Royeaux, not knowing that his arch-nemesis Dumbledore was planning something along those same lines. Both of them had the same idea though. Get Harry Potter's attention. Snape shuddered at what would happen if their plans succeeded.

A/N: Kind of a filler chapter. But both Dumbledore and Voldemort now know where Harry is, and they, funnily enough, have similar plans to get him to attack. Next Chapter: Disaster at the World Cup.

**Quidditch Lockouts:** Based off of real life sports lockouts.


	6. Chapter 5 Tragedy at the World Cup

Chapter 5 Tragedy at the World Cup

A/N: Harry will be referred to as Harry for the remainder of this story. His teammates would have figured it out long ago, or he would have told them on an oath of secrecy.

**Bold=French**

_" Hell hath no fury like that of Harry Potter…"_ Sirius Black, in the Daily Prophet, the day after he became Chief Warlock.

" 'Arry, you think we can win zis one?"

Harry laughed at his Chaser friend, " Of course, Lenore. Krum won't get me. You just have to make sure we're in position to win this one."

Lenore smiled, " Of course, 'Arry. Zey will have no chance against me and ze others."

Harry smiled, and looked at Gabrielle, who had come into the Locker Room for a good luck. Harry smiled mischievously. Boy, when Half-Veela Mature, they mature. Harry would never have believed you if you told him that the little girl he save in the Lake would end up looking like this. Gabrielle whispered, " Don't worry, 'Arry. You got them zis time."

Harry nodded to Gabrielle, " Who said I didn't?"

" A little over confident are we?"

Harry turned to see Daphne Greengrass walking down the stairs, followed by Tracey. Harry quipped, " The match starts in an hour, why are you guys here?"

Daphne slapped him playfully, " To wish you good luck you prat. Last time, you lost to Bulgaria's back up Seeker. How do you think you will do against the Bad Ass himself?"

" Oh so Krum gets a nickname and I don't?"

Tracey hissed, " Quiet, Harry. Krum's been King of the Quidditch World since we were in Third Year. You've got your work cut out against him and you know it."

Harry laughed, " I know that. I've seen Krum do things on a broomstick that I only dreamed of. Plus, he's a lot more aggressive with the other parts of the game than I am. Something I've really worked on is trying to interrupt the opposing team's scoring opportunities."

" At least you aren't nervous, Harry."

Harry smirked, " I don't get nervous."

" Zat is a lie."

" Shut up Lenore."

Lenore giggled at Harry. Harry just rolled his eyes, he had gotten used to her attempting to annoy him before games to help him get over his nerves about being a professional. Funny isn't it? Harry Potter could face down Dark Lord Extraordinaire and Certified Maniac, Tom Marvolo Riddle, but he still got pre-game jitters. Lenore figured that pissing Harry off was a good way to bring out the best in him. It had only failed once.

Lenore joked, " I guess zis is nothing like 'Ogwarts is it?"

Harry sneered, " Of course it isn't. I mean, I just wish Oliver Wood was here breathing down my neck. Instead, I get you."

" And zat is a problem?"

Harry laughed it off. The warning bell for all attendees to go to their seats, so Gabrielle, Daphne, and Tracey left with a final farewell. Harry smoothed out his powder blue and white robes, muttering, " I would look so much more manly wearing red and white."

Lenore heard him, " Be quiet 'Arry. England is nothing compared to us in terms of Quidditch."

" Just saying. When's the rest of the team getting back?"

Lenore used a Time Charm, " In about 15 minutes. I guess good luck?"

Harry smiled, " Good luck to you too, Lenore."

Harry watched her rummage around in her pack, and pull out a small necklace with a ring on it. The ring had a ruby gemstone insert. She handed it to him, " Wear zis for luck 'Arry. I bought it myself."

Harry muttered, " Thanks, Lenore. Why would you get me something like this?"

" Just…Just wear it."

Harry slung the little chain around his neck and let the ring fall down to his chest with an exasperated, " Alright."

Having roomed with the Royeauxs for much of his time in France, Harry always had the distinct feeling that Cheval and Lenore were disappointed that he already had three wives. Even Guillaume seemed depressed that he wouldn't be able to have Harry Potter as a brother in law. The Boy-Who-Lived Moniker only carried a little bit of power in France, but to those it directly affected, it carried great weight. Like Viscount Weasley's father, Lenore and Guillaume's mother had been killed by runaway Death Eaters who had decided to hide out in France. Lenore was only two months old when her mother was killed.

Harry felt bad about that, but knew that even though the Royeauxs were his friends, they would probably use his feelings to try and get him to the bargaining table. The Warning bell rang again, and the rest of the French Team filed in. Their Keeper was a Spanish man named Alessandro Santiago. He was one of the players that had joined after Harry's first run at the World Cup. He was an Elite Keeper who made up for the fact that the two Chasers other than Lenore were very offensive focused and didn't have a lot of defensive talent.

The oldest of the Chasers was an Englishman named Tyrone Grant. He had filtered around the circuit in the minor leagues for awhile, before the French National team picked him up off of the Chudley Cannons. They found out that the then thirty four year old Chaser had been cast off for years because he didn't like to play defense. He was a brilliant scorer that reminded Harry of Katie Bell, who he was reminded was playing for the Bulgarian Team. But unlike Katie, he was a rough player. He tended to get them in Penalty Shot Trouble, so most game plans called on him being exceptionally aggressive.

The other Chaser was young American witch named Danielle Harris. Like Tyrone, she was loathe to play defense, but she was at least a little balanced. Again, like Tyrone, she had bounced around the American minor leagues for a couple of years out of Salem, before Harry had noticed her during the offseason after his first World Cup Run. She was fast. Really, really fast. Harry had never seen someone fly that fast, not even on his old Firebolt.

Their Beaters were homegrown talent. Henry Bouchard was the son of Beaubatons professor, Paul Bouchard, as a result, he spent most of his life in France despite being born in Canada. Robert Guiscard was the youngest player on the team, only seventeen. Both were powerful and accurate. The Strength coach whistled, telling them that it was time for them to begin the march to the field.

Harry took up his place as Team Captain, giving a small speech in English, which was the common language between all of them, " Alright guys. This is it. Semi-Finals. We beat Bulgaria, and I can guarantee that we will beat whoever we play in the Final. Just go out there, and play like we did against Ireland. We won't have to worry, if we can just hit our marks. Like I said earlier this week, Chasers, you have got to contain Katie Bell on the breakaway. I played with her at Hogwarts before I transferred. She is really fast, and can put the precision shot away. Keep on your toes.

" Chasers, when you have the Quaffle, you need to score. Pollus is good, but he isn't as good as Mclaggen was at Ireland. He's really susceptible to misdirection plays. As for their beaters, they aren't that hot either. The main threat is the one I have to deal with. Quidditch King himself, Viktor Krum. Let me do my job, by doing yours. Got it?"

The team nodded. Harry shouted, " Alright then! Let's get this show on the road!"

That final march to the field is the worst imaginable. No matter how confident you are, the nerves are always the worst. Harry could almost hear Danielle's teeth chattering. Harry grasped his new Thunderbolt in hand, swung his leg over it, and waited. To his immense surprise, his old friend Lee Jordan was doing the Commentating.

"_Good Evening Ladies and Gentleman, my name is Lee Jordan, acting as a special announcer for the NQL Network. Beside me are Carl Landis, and Ewan O'Neil. What is the matchup for today?"_

O'Neil had a strong Irish accent, " Well folks, this one should be a match for the ages today. We have the two premier Seekers in the world prepared to duel, and leave it all out on the field today. As we know, James Black is notorious for his competitive style. But then again, so is Viktor Krum."

Landis had no accent, " I agree. I think this game is going to come down to the wire, and the play of everyone except the Seekers. The vulnerability of the French team has been the ability of their Chasers to play defense. Lenore Royeaux is the only competent defender on their team at the Chaser position. It will be interesting if Bulgaria's Katie Bell can exploit that weakness."

Harry hissed in anticipation. Then, Jordan shouted, " Taking the field first! The French National Team!"

Harry kicked off, leading his team out. Landis read off the roster, " Led by Team Captain James Black, Lenore Royeaux, Alessandro Santiago, Tyrone Grant, Danielle Harris, Henry Bouchard, and Robert Guiscard!"

Harry smiled at the roar of approval from the French crowd. France was holding the Cup for the first time in a hundred years, so there was a huge turnout, especially given the revived French team. The team did an honorary lap around the field. Then came the Bulgarian Team.

Jordan shouted, " Led by Team Captain Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian National Team! Viktor Krum, Katherine Bell, Moiraine Ivanova, Geralt Riviani, Rikardo Dandellos, Marcus Pollus, and Andrei Emkhe."

The Bulgarian team was greeted by predominantly boos from the crowd. Krum flew right up to Harry, and shook his hand, " Good luck, Harry Potter."

Harry wasn't even bothered by Krum seeing through the glamours, " You too, Viktor. "

" Vell, you vill probably need it more than I."

Harry smirked at the challenge. He knew it was going to be a good one. The Referee, the same one who had done the World Cup when he was in Forth Year, muttered out, " Alright, I want a nice clean game between you two. Got it?"

Harry nodded, making sure not to make eye contact with Katie. The last thing he needed was for more people to find out that James Black was actually Harry Potter. The Ref tossed the Quaffle up in to the air, and the Game began.

Harry immediately floated off to run interference for Lenore, who had gotten the Quaffle during the face off. She easily put the first goal on the board. 10-0 France. Harry doubled back, and became a Bludger for his own team. He zipped out of nowhere, and knocked the Quaffle from Katie Bell in her defensive zone. It was picked up by Danielle, who zoomed the Quaffle through the goal before Pollus could even recover from the juke. 20-0 France.

That's when Krum started to get aggressive. Krum had apparently studied his film, because he kept trying Wronski Feints to get Harry to plow into the ground. It was when Harry started to harass the rest of Krum's team, that he started to get physical.

Katie put Bulgaria's first points on the board, making it 40-10, still France. Krum started to get physical, bashing into Harry at any opportunity. It was then that Harry noticed how much larger Krum was than he was. Then Harry saw the Snitch.

He raced after it, as the little gold ball was hovering just over the Press Box. Krum came hot after him. Harry noticed that Krum was using a Firebolt, funny, because Harry was using the new version of that broom. Harry easily outstripped him, but a Bludger, hit by the Bulgarian Beater, threw both of them off. When they had regained their ground, both had lost the Snitch.

France went on a five to zero scoring run, making the score 90-10. Bulgaria's lack of talent for the rest of their team was really showing. With the memory of the Ireland World Cup clearly on his mind, Krum was searching the skies like a hawk for the Snitch. He was clearly desperate to prove he could win the big one, because Krum wouldn't even let Harry reach a certain altitude before forcing him back down.

France scored twice more. 110-10. But it wouldn't be enough if Krum's strategy worked. By forcing Harry down towards the ground, not only was he keeping Harry from getting a good viewpoint, he was also putting him in position to get hit by a 'random' Bludger.

Harry rolled to avoid such a bludger. Then he saw the Snitch right below him. So did Krum. Harry dived downward, pulled out of the dive inches from the ground. A Bludger was hurling full tilt at him. Then, the Snitch took a sharp turn up. Harry had just enough time to pull up and avoid the Bludger. Krum wasn't so lucky. He took it full in the face, breaking his nose again. Harry rounded about to check the score. It was now 140-40. France was one hundred points ahead, meaning that Harry had to catch the snitch.

Krum tried to Feint him again, but Harry had gotten into the habit of looking ahead of the opposing Seeker, rather than watching the actual Seeker himself. So Harry knew it was feint. Harry and Krum were then interrupted by a stoppage in play. Bulgaria had found its groove. They had scored eighty unanswered in the last ten minutes of game play. The score was now 140-90. Slowly but surely, Bulgaria was clawing its way back in. After the penalty shot by Ivanova, who missed, Harry called a time out for a breather.

Lenore was panting hard, " Ha…ha…Harry, we can't keep zis up. You need to get zat Snitch."

Harry spouted out, " I know! I can't get too close because of Krum though. He's driving me up a wall! Literally!"

Danielle shouted, " That old girlfriend of yours is giving us fits Harry! Who the hell else played at Hogwarts? Flying Mountains?"

Harry chuckled, " Well, given the size of guys like Montague and Flint, you aren't far off. Slytherin always focused more on size and physicality than skill. So she's had lots of practice dodging aggressive Chasers before."

Alessandro fumed, " That doesn't help us much. Tyrone! Danielle! I know you don't like Defense, but you really need to start forming zones around our posts! Missing Bell like that is giving her free points! Good as I am, I can't cover the whole fucking pitch!"

Referee Mustafa walked over, and Harry told him they were ready. He took off, hoping to get a jump on Krum, but like always, it was nowhere to be found until Krum was up to speed. Harry saw it right next to Krum, but it disappeared like it knew it had made a mistake. Krum shouted at Harry, " Come now Potter, let us end this!"

Harry nodded, and then the Snitch appeared near the top of the grandstands. They both whipped after it, going full speed. The Snitch began to whirl between the towers of the stands. Harry never knew his broom could turn so tightly at such high speeds. The Gs he was generating almost threw him off his broom as he and Krum corkscrewed down the tower. The Snitch swiftly pulled up, spiraling around the other towers. Harry and Krum raced neck and neck, chasing it as hard and as fast as they could.

The Snitch flew between archways in the stadium. Harry was almost holding his breath as he bobbed and weaved, dove and rose to avoid what would surely be a fatal collision with a stone arch. The crowd was tense with anticipation. Harry broke free of the arches first, and had a full view of the Snitch. He raced as hard as he could, but his broom just couldn't keep up with the humming bird like ball. Krum caught up with him as they whirled through a series of S curves to catch the Snitch. Harry couldn't even hear the score with his blood rushing through his ears. He dodged a Bludger with a quick roll. The Snitch stayed in his view. Another Bludger came his way as the Bulgarian Beaters sensed desperation. The Snitch rose straight up in the air. Both Harry and Krum almost went belly up in their sudden pull. They stalled out hundreds of meters above the stadium's highest tower. Then they nose dived.

Harry felt his blood rushing as both he and Krum raced down towards the earth at speeds no one had ever seen before. They were corkscrewing the whole time, almost like a tornado. The wind slashed through his hair. It almost broke through the sticking charms he had on his glasses. Then, he started getting closer. And Closer. Until it was almost there. _Come on! Just a little bit further!_ Harry urged his broom as the ground rapidly approached. The Snitch was almost in arms length…he stretched out…..he gritted his teeth…..Krum cursed….Harry's hand closed around the gold ball.

Harry pulled out with a roar of triumph, holding it up to the sky. Lee Jordan was shouting into the microphone, " HOLY SHIT! WHAT A MATCH! 290-170! France is going back to the World Cup Finals!"

Harry flew above his team, shouting triumphantly. Krum came up and shook his hand, saying, " Vell done Harry. Ve vill see each other again."

Harry shouted, " I'll be sure it happens!"

He looked down at his teammates flying up towards him. What happened next completely changed the taste of victory….

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( Gabrielle)

Gabby was sitting with her Mother in the best seats the house had. Most of the box was literally crying with tears of happiness to see their team going back to the Finals. According to her mother, it had been far worse the first time, four years ago. They almost destroyed the stadium in their madness. The fans had rushed the pitch, and were tearing down the goal posts like they were Yanks after a big College upset or something.

Gabrielle noticed an older man, wearing acid green and toxic purple robes, standing at the front of the pack. Gabrielle knew she had seen the man before, but she couldn't think of where. She watched him pull a pulsating wand from his robes, and fire a blood red Stunner at one of the Chasers on the French Team. Her eyes went wide as she recognized the Chaser. The Stunner hit Lenore right as she was taking her hands off of her broom handle to hug one of her teammates. The cheers turned to stunned silence as the crowd watched the young chaser fall backwards off her broom.

No one noticed Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore disappear from the stadium with a smile on his face.

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( Guillaume and Cheval)

Like the rest of the predominantly French crowd, Cheval and his son were watching in stunned silence as the Chaser fell from the sky. Then they saw Harry come diving out of the sky towards the falling chaser. Then Guillaume recognized who it was. He whipped his wand out, and tried to hit her with a Cushioning Charm, but missed. He didn't notice another, rather odd looking man, fire a spell at his falling sister either. Then there was impact. The crowd was so quiet that you could hear the bone crunching impact. Guillaume didn't even have to look at his father, he could almost sense the grief rolling off of him. There was no way she survived.

They numbly made it out of the stands, and saw the French National Team kneeling around the body. Guillaume walked up to Harry, who was just standing with a shocked look on his face. Guillaume could hear Harry whispering, " No…No.. not here. Not now. Not again….Not another one….", over and over. Guillaume wondered what on earth Harry could be talking about. Harry never said anything about the reasons why he had had to leave Britain, only that it was important that he had. Then there was Cheval.

The silence of the stadium was ripped by his roar of anger and grief. He saw Gabrielle walking down, and she whispered something to Harry. Harry's expression changed from shock, to sadness, to absolute, unspeakable fury. Guillaume saw Harry's fist beginning to shake. Small crackles of lightning began to arc off of the man. There was a shattering crunch, and Harry unclenched his fist to reveal the crushed remains of the Snitch he had just caught.

Guillaume began to back up cautiously away from Harry. He had seen Harry angry, but nothing like this. Daphne Greengrass was rubbing his shoulder, whispering something, but he just shrugged her away. Guillaume asked, his English much improved, " What is going on here?"

Daphne looked at Gabrielle, " Gabrielle saw who it was that attacked Lenore. She…Well, let her describe him."

Gabrielle described, " **He was an old man, easily a hundred or more years old. He had a white beard that almost went down to his waist, and his hair was really silver. He was wearing toxic purple and acid green robes, like he had never heard of fashion before."**

A hiss of " Dumbledore" drew their attention. Cheval was holding Lenore's lifeless head to his chest, but his face was a mask of pure anger, " Albus Dumbledore. **He will pay for his actions! This is an act of war, performed with malicious intent on an emissary of the French Nation and Government. She will always be my daughter most importantly, but this is an act of war, a diplomatic transgression that CANNOT be allowed to stand."**

Jean Delacour tried to calm him down, " **Messer Royeaux, your grief is clearly affecting your judgment. Please, sit down, calm down, and let us handle it."**

Cheval drew his wand and blew Jean Delacour almost back into the stands. He placed a Sonorus Charm on himself, " **I WILL NOT LET YOU SWEEP THIS UNDER THE CARPET! This is a Diplomatic transgression, and Murder of the highest degree! I will have Albus Dumbledore's Head for this! If I have to take yours to get to his, THAN SO FUCKING BE IT!"**

Jean shouted back, " **This is out of your jurisdiction, Royeaux! This is a matter of the French DMLE! You will not interfere with our investigations!"**

** " I, Chevalier Charlemagne Royeaux hear by challenge thee, Jean Alder Delacour, to a Duel to the Death for insulting my honor! Accept, and receive glory. Reject, and face scorn!"**

Guillaume recoiled from his furious father, who was now performing accidental magic in much the same way that Harry was doing right now. Most people had flooded onto the field, and were ignoring the fact that Harry and Cheval's combined magic was systematically destroying the Quidditch Stadium. Black lightning kept flying from Harry, setting the wooden parts of the stadium aflame, blasting the stone arches apart. Fell winds were sweeping through the stadium. The calamity was reaching its apex. It was beginning to rain for some reason, except that this rain was burning. Guillaume had heard of this before. The Muggle form was called Acid Rain. But the Magical form was called the Tears of Wrath. It only occurred when two or more wizards were angry enough to emit enough magic to affect the weather. There was even reports of Rage Snow, which was blood red.

Guillaume had barely noticed, but his own anger was coming forth. His sorrow was turning to anger, creating kind of a swirling vortex of Emotional Magic. Jean Delacour's face hardened, " **Very well then. I, Jean Alder Delacour accept Chevalier Charlemagne Royeaux's challenge of a Duel to the Death! Should I forfeit, may my magic destroy me. So Mote Be It!"**

The Duel ended in a second. Cheval fired a reductor that destroyed full to a third of the stadium in a single shot. His spells were anger fuelled, granting them far greater power than normal. Guillaume had heard of this phenomena before whilst on the Dueling Circuit. It was called Soulfire, the use of emotions to power spells. Harry watched the duel. Guillaume saw a maelstrom of energy suddenly encircle Harry, and he vanished.

Cheval walked over, found the head of Jean Delacour, and placed his foot on it. He shouted, " **By Right of conquest, I, Chevalier Charlemagne Royeaux claim lordship over House Delacour and all of its power, land, and titles! "**

A small flash hit Gabrielle and Apolline. Far off in Britain, a flash hit Fleur Marie as well, as she was suddenly reinstated into the Delacour family.

This cause such an uproar, that no one noticed a snake like man levitating the corpse of Lenore Royeaux out of the stadium, with a rat that had a metal paw. Once this was discovered, Cheval went on a rage that destroyed the stadium entirely. Luckily, all the people had the sense enough to stay out of the way.

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( Diagon Alley)

Harry emerged from Apparating to Diagon Alley. Somehow, his anger had taken so much control over him, that it had caused him to Apparate to Diagon Alley. He ran to Gringotts, which was surprisingly vacant. He shouted, " I'm sorry for the intrusion, but may I, Harry James Potter, see my Vault Manager?"

Direhit, his manager, recognizing the potential volatility of the situation, shouted, " Of course, right this way, Lord Potter. "

Harry followed his manager into a small private room. Direhit took a small sample of blood from one of Harry's cut fingers, and placed it in the Blood Recognizer. It shone golden. Direhit smiled, and a box appeared, " Well, everything recognizes you. Time for you to accept lordship. Do you, Harry James Potter, accept the rights, honors, duties, and powers of House Potter by virtue of your blood?"

" I Harry James Potter , accept all rights, honors, duties, and powers of House Potter and its lordship by the blood in my veins!"

The Potter ring, which he had expected to be gold and red, was actually a green P surrounded by red Lightning bolts, appeared on his left finger. He said, " Thank you for your business. Now, I have to attend to something."

With that, Harry Potter flashed out of Gringotts, not even noticing it. Direhit frowned, " Damn. Lord Potter must really be pissed."

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(Sirius Black)

Sirius was shaken when Harry suddenly appeared in his house, somehow snaking through all the wards. His emerald eyes were blazing in fury. He simply asked, " When is the Weasley wedding?"

Sirius hesitated, " It-it is next Saturday. It is a Double Wedding. Why?"

" Good. Start preparing for war Sirius. Dumbledore did something unforgivable today."

Sirius watched Harry finger the small ruby ring hanging from a necklace he was wearing, " What happened?"

" He killed a friend of mine. For that, he cannot be allowed to live. The operation to obliterate the Light starts now."

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( Order Meeting The Next Day)

Dumbledore threw a newspaper down triumphantly. Lupin just starred at it. The headline, and entire paper, was about an "accident" at yesterday's World Cup Semi-Finals.

**Tragedy at the World Cup Semi-Finals!**

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Yesterday, France concluded an unlikely run toward its second World Cup Final. However, it did not come without a price. Star Chaser, Lenore Constance Royeaux (19) was killed in a tragic accident that occurred immediately after the game that saw a thrilling battle between two Future Hall Of Fame Seekers, James Black and Viktor Krum. Eyewitness reports suggest that she was reaching up from her broom to hug a teammate in the air, when she was hit by a wayward spell coming from the direction of the Top Box. The spell must have come from a sour Bulgarian, because it was a Stunner. The attitude of the stadium changed from elation to utter silence during her roughly 4.5 second fall. For those of us in attendance, I assure you it seemed much longer than that. _

_She hit the ground with a bone crushing impact, leaving no doubt to her fate. In the aftermath, it was revealed that James Black was none other than Harry Potter ( 21), former fugitive but was cleared after a trial. The more interesting aftermath began when Jean Alder Delacour ( 47) attempted to console a grieving Chevalier Royeaux ( 51). Lord Royeaux immediately challenged Lord Delacour to a Death Duel, and won in record time. Lord Royeaux is quoted as saying, " Tell the Old man I'm coming for him."_

_For who this old man is, one need only listen to the testimony of one Gabrielle Delacour (16), who witnessed the attack, describing the assailant as an old man, English of appearance, who was wearing toxic purple and acid green robes. This can only match the description of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts, and Former Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot._

_The World Cup Finals, announced to be France VS England, has been postponed until an inquiry has been completed, and the stadium can be rebuilt. _

_For more on the Royeaux history and their origins, see pages 4-7_

_For more on Harry Potter and his MIA status see page 9_

_For more on the Quidditch match, and political ramifications of these events, see pages 2-3"_

McGonagall muttered, " A-A-A-Albus, d-d-d-do you even realize what you have done?"

Ron's mouth wasn't functioning. He didn't know it, but his sister was receiving a letter right now while she was waiting for Ron and Hermione to get out of the Order Meeting. That letter was telling her that she needed to get out of there.

Albus smiled, " I've brought Harry back to Britain, like I intended to do."

Fleur hissed, " At what cost, may I ask? My own father killed, an innocent woman dead?"

" In the end, the Greater Good demanded it. So it was done."

Fleur hissed angrily, " Zen I am leaving. Zis is too much. Beel!"

Fleur took off her engagement ring and threw it at Bill, screaming, " Ze Wedding is OFF! I cannot marry someone so ingrained in ze teachings of a madman!"

With that, an angry Fleur Delacour stormed out of Hogwarts. Bill stood back, his mouth firmly fixed shut. Ron muttered, " Well, I guess it's just me and Hermione Saturday then."

Bill glared at Ron, but didn't say anything. Dumbledore muttered, " While Lenore Royeaux's death was unfortunate, something had to be done. I have only performed my duties in the name of the Light."

Ron whispered a quote from the paper, " ' Tell the Old Man I'm coming for him!' Albus, I told you this would happen didn't it?"

" Professor Weasley, need I remind you of our little deal?"

Ron shouted, " Fuck our deal, Albus! I told you not to attack her! I told you! And now look! The absolute best we can hope for is that Sirius Black can keep Cheval Royeaux from declaring war on Magical Britain! We can only hope that he keeps this as a House Feud and nothing more! And what about Harry? You KNOW what he's like when he gets angry!"

Hermione, who had been meek and quiet for most of the meeting, " Ron? Chevalier is not French Minister of Magic, how would he declare war?"

Ron was getting frustrated now, " I'm not a genius! I'll admit it! I'm completely clueless about most things magic, but one thing I do know is how Pureblood houses work! My family may be made of blood traitors, but I know the politics as good as anyone else. Why do you think I play chess so damn much?

" The Royeaux family is the foremost, elite family in France! The political clout they hold is second to none! There is no British equivalent! Not even the Potters would be able to so easily disable the government! You might even say that the French Ministry exists only at the pleasure of the Royeauxs!

" The Blacks have played Magical Britain for several generations, but the Royeauxs almost literally own Magical France. That is why I told Albus not attack her! To incur the wrath of Cheval Royeaux is exactly the same as incurring the wrath of Magical France! If he wants it, he will get it!"

Hermione looked at the picture of the man in the Prophet. It was bad that Rita Skeeter was writing the absolute truth this time. The man had sunlight blonde hair, making it obvious that the woman on the ground behind him his daughter. Though tears were streaming down the sides of his face, the face was a solid mask of fury. Hermione whispered, " The other pictures don't show a man who would be so brutal."

" Face it Hermione! We need to hope and pray that whatever Harry's going to do, can save us from Royeaux. I frankly don't care what happens, as long as we can get out of it alive!"

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( Nurmengard)

" Place her body there, Wormtail."

" Yes, milord."

Lord Voldemort placed his deathly white hand on the back of Lenore Royeaux's body. He ran his yew wand from the base of her head, all the way down her back, leaving a glittering trail. There was a soft, but audible sound of bones coming back together. Peter Pettigrew stood watching his master perform his work.

Lord Voldemort then began to remove a stasis charm he had hit her with during her fall. The stasis charm had locked her into a form of time lock. While she still took the injuries from the fall, she hadn't actually died. The spell was a Voldemort Special, so it made it look like she had died, masking her pulse and other vital signs as well. Voldemort smiled as the soft blue eyes flickered open. A whisper of " Where am I?" came out. Voldemort hissed, " Welcome to hell. _Crucio."_

Peter laughed at the anguished screams. Voldemort whispered, " I am Lord Voldemort, King of this world, and Master of Death. This is your fucking nightmare."

Several Death Eaters stirred anxiously from the bloodcurdling screams coming from below them in the fortress….

A/N: Harry's back. Next Chapter: Harry the Wedding Crasher.

" Attack on a national representative...": Athletes competing on National Teams are considered to be representatives of their home nations.

**Is Lenore dead?**: No, but she probably wishes she was.

**Then how did she survive?: **Voldemort hit her with a stasis charm that masked her life signs when she was falling. He was the odd looking man that Guillaume didn't notice earlier.

**Soulfire:** The Ability to wield emotions to fuel magic and spells without actually feeling those emotions. It is even more potent when the user is feeling a particularly strong emotion. The term actually comes from the consequence of using too much of it. " The consequence of drawing too much Soulfire is to literally burn one's soul away." A lot of authors, Fan or Original fiction writers, use this form of emotional magic, but never actually give a name to it. The best Harry Potter examples are the Patronus Charm, and that memorable scene in OOTP when Harry blasts Dumbledore's office.

References:

Geralt Riviani: Tribute to Geralt of Rivia, from the Witcher.

Moiraine: Tribute to The Wheel of Time Series.


	7. Chapter 6  Closing the Goddamn Door

Chapter 6 Haven't you People Ever Heard of Closing the Goddamn Door?

A/N : I sure hope you like the way I've had Sirius and the Order of the Blacks dress for the Wedding.

I would like to think the reviewer Lerris for his commentary on how to improve this story. Even though he/she likely will not see this, I would like to say that I take the advice given to me from my current stories, and use them in my newer stories. Use this story as an example, probably much better than my earlier Harry Potter stories, like Dragon Knights, Descent into Madness, and Master of Illusion. Definitely better than my original stories, most of which I pulled down. For an example of my Warhammer days, see Running through the Fire.

I invariably use a few references, cameos, character names, etc, in my stories. Like this Chapter's title is a Panic! reference.

"_I am the shadow and the smoke in your eyes. I am the ghost that hides in the night." _Shinedown

_" All the World's a stage, and all the people, players." _Shakespeare, Much Ado about Nothing.

" Ron, I'm scared."

Ron looked at the woman who was going to, maybe, become his wife the next day, " Why is that, Hermione dear?"

" Ron, I've heard what's going on in France right now. That one man could cause so much upheaval scares me almost as bad as Voldemort does."

Hermione's argument was perfectly valid. It should have been impossible for Cheval Royeaux to gain such autonomous control over the French Government, but as Ron had told Dumbledore. The Royeauxs were a family that dated way back, to the Frankish Empire under Charlemagne. They only became the Royal Cousins when two of the sons married the Sun King's cousins. Then their sister married the Sun King's son. Eventually, they all filtered back together, and the Royeauxs became the de facto French rulers after the Revolution.

" Is it possible that something like that could happen here?"

Ron laughed, " When you think about it, it already happened with Sirius Black. But at least he keeps a semblance of how it used to be. Royeaux is on the warpath and no one can stop him. But hey, we've got tomorrow don't we? At least for one day, our lives can be normal."

" How's that?"

Ron kissed her, " Simple. We are getting married. Two years ago, that didn't seem so great, but now. Now it's probably the best thing that's ever happened to us."

Hermione smiled, " I know. I think I've come to grips with it. Is it too much to ask for that tomorrow go down without any problems?"

" Probably, but oh well. What's the worst that could happen?"

62346-4-574568-48-546-43-4356-87-65-43-2-45-678-683-547-4678-5679-67-5-654-68=657-8

( Sirius Black)

Another day equaled more surprises for the infamous Lover of House Black. Fleur Delacour had written to him, requesting to be allowed to join the Order of the Blacks. Sirius granted her request, allowing yet another person to join the Order of the Blacks. To think this had all started off as an attempt to save his godson, had resulted in Sirius becoming the leader of Magical Britain.

Now, Sirius was facing a political storm like no other. Cheval Royeaux was on the warpath, nothing less than Dumbledore's head on a pike would satisfy that man's thirst for vengeance over the death of his daughter. So much as talking to the man was risk in itself. So they resorted to communicating through letters. Sometimes those letters were very inflammatory and resulted in one or the other cursing at the walls of their studies. Other times, they resulted in calm reflections.

Nonetheless, it seemed like the only thing Sirius was doing was stalling Royeaux's inevitable march towards Hogwarts. The best Sirius could do was try to lobby for Dumbledore's voluntary surrender, like that was ever going to happen.

Harry's strange mental state was driving him up a wall as well. The man was in a state of extreme mental focus, and all he seemed to be doing was running endless scenarios over and over under his breath. He wasn't sleeping at all, and it didn't seem to be affecting him at all. Sirius had even heard him muttering, " Well, what if Dumbledore casts this spell, Voldemort is there, and he blocks it, so it ricochets at me. Then what? Do I summon something to block it, or do I dodge it?"

Sirius didn't even bother trying to understand what sort of battle plan Harry was making. His intentions were clear though. Take down Dumbledore first. Then worry about Voldemort. Harry was filling all the spare books, and all the spare rolls of parchment with stratagems and conundrums Sirius didn't think had anything to do with the actual war. Oh, it was war now.

Nymphadora Tonks, Sirius' dear cousin, had accidently hit a Black supporter with a spell during practice. He took it the wrong way, and the small disagreement erupted into an all out brawl, Muggle Style, between Dumbledore's supporters and Sirius'. Turns out that there were a lot more Dumbledore supporters than Black Supporters. Sirius had himself an uphill battle to face, once again.

Voldemort was nowhere to be found, something that was worrying not just Sirius, but Severus as well. Snape had come back after the last meeting to the sounds of a woman being tortured. Since then, the Dark Lord hadn't ordered a new meeting. Well, technically, they knew where he was. He had taken Gellert Grindelwald's old fortress of Nurmengard to be the new HQ after the Blacks had raided Riddle Manor in Little Hangleton. Exactly what he was doing, now that was a different story.

Nurmengard was fortress for a reason. It was situated next to the sea, surrounded by water on three sides. Since Wizards for the most part don't know what an amphibious assault is, there are very few defenses pointed out to sea, though those that are, are very powerful. It would take a lot of effort, both politically and militarily, to break the fortress without causing a war with Germany. Time and effort they didn't have if they wanted to keep Cheval from destroying Britain looking for Dumbledore.

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( Nurmengard)

" Pettigrew, how fares the girl? Are you holding the Death Eaters in check?"

Peter bowed before his master, reveling in his newfound trust with the Dark Lord, " Yes, milord. She still shows much resilience. She apparently hasn't come to grips with the fact that her situation is hopeless, and that her only relief will be in your glorious light."

Voldemort hissed, " Good. Tell the men to get ready. If she doesn't break shortly, then we will have to resort to other methods."

Peter smirked, " Of course milord."

Peter scurried out of the Throne Room. Voldemort mused upon the day that he had made Peter his new lieutenant. It had come as a shock to everyone, especially Severus and the two remaining Lestranges. But it was paying huge dividends. It had been Peter's idea to interrupt Dumbledore's foolish attack on the Royeaux girl, and then kidnap her. It had also been his idea to break her, and convert her to his side.

Voldemort's snake like visage curled into an evil looking smile. Peter was having some moments of brilliance. A Royeaux would be powerful ally, especially one who's parents had been killed by his own Death Eaters when she was only two months old. Of course, Voldemort would have preferred to have captured the Duelist, but he was a slippery one. So they settled for the Quidditch star.

In the highest room once used by Gellert Grindelwald, Lenore Royeaux lay quivering on the shabby bed provided to her. She didn't know how it had happened, but she had been captured by Death Eaters. Now, she was being tormented. For what purpose, she didn't know. _Why has this happened to me? All I remember is 'Arry winning that match, and then nothing! Where is this place?"_

" This is Nurmengard, my dear."

Lenore turned over to see the man she was beginning to both hate and fear. She had just learned his name was Peter, but she didn't know his last name or his story. He looked kind of like a rat, but he wasn't like one. She glanced nervously at the blood red scratches on her arm, thought with a wince about the ones on her thighs, and then back at the metallic hand. Peter chuckled, " Oh, worried about the hand now are we? Don't worry, it won't be doing anything to you tonight. But by tomorrow morning, you will be screaming for its gentle caresses. Dolohov! Macnair! In here!"

Two more Death Eaters strode into the tower. One was Italian looking, and the other she recognized as the British Beast Executioner, Walden Macnair. Macnair hissed, " Wormtail, why have you brought us here?"

Peter smiled, glaring intently at Lenore, " The Dark Lord wishes to reward his two best followers."

Lenore's eyes went wide as she caught the meaning of his words. Dolohov glanced at her, " Is that so? It has been awhile since I had one. Is she?"

Peter nodded, and Dolohov smirked. Macnair smiled, " Good, we have been waiting a good long time for the Dark Lord to reward us for bringing the Giants and Vampires into battle with us. What rules?"

Peter curtly explained, " Do anything you like to her, as long as you don't kill her, or make her barren. The Dark Lord has found her…appealing… and wishes her to bear his heir. So don't be too rough on her. But make it hurt. "

Macnair rolled the sleeves on his robes back, " I have no problem with these rules, you?"

Dolohov laughed, " Not at all. Don't ruin her for the Dark Lord and don't kill her. Simple enough."

Peter laughed, " Enjoy your time, fellows. I'll be back by morning."

Macnair drew his wand, " Excellent, I know plenty of curses that will satisfy those requirements. Now, Begone! We have business to attend to."

The Castle didn't sleep again that night.

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( The Next Day…Burrow)

Ron woke up that day with a distinct feeling of hopelessness in his stomach. He knew that Hermione often had strange mood swings at the oddest times, but he never knew why. The bad thing was that he was having them too, so he knew it didn't relate to Hermione's….problems….

The worst part, was that sometimes, he would get really bad headaches in the exact area of his forehead that Harry had had his scar. During those times, it was like he could hear Harry whispering instructions in his mind, manipulating him to do things. It was like Harry was putting parts of his own personality within him!

Nevertheless, this was supposed to be a day of hope for the Light. Ron had the unpleasant feeling that the tone had been set roughly a week ago with Fleur suddenly calling off her wedding with Bill. That wasn't good. The fact that this was still a week after the death of that French girl, Lenore, at the World Cup, well this probably wasn't a good time to get married.

The looming threat of war with Magical France wasn't appealing either. Sirius Black and Cheval Royeaux were in constant, desperate communication, but anyone with sense could tell that there was no reasoning with the French Lord. Sirius Black had been tearing his hair out, almost literally, trying to keep the Lord out of Britain, but every day, that was becoming a greater struggle. Ron of all people should know that a negative emotion like anger would grow if left to fester.

Then, Ron was hit with a head splitting headache. He fell to his knees, and the voice whispered to him, " _Proceed as planned today. Nothing will happen. Feel at ease"_

Ron took a deep breath, and he was feeling better than he had all day. He smiled, and began to get ready for his wedding. _His wedding_ that sounded good.

343-26-84-8-28-5-54-38-56-453-7-47-56-8-57-5-4-5-7-568-568-657-5-6-88-7-56-86-8

( A Couple of Hours Later…Church

About a hundred people were crammed into the churchl. Roughly half of the crowd was Weasleys. Ginny had invited the cousins, the French Weasleys, so a surly Viscount Martin Weasley sat in the front row. He had to admit, his cousin Ronald had matured a lot since they had last seen each other, though his poverty level had stayed the same.

Ginny had somehow convinced Ron's Bride, a woman named Hermione Granger, to make Simone one of the Bridesmaids, since Hermione came from a rather limited family, all muggles, and she was the only daughter of the only son of a war hero. At least one of his cousins had taste, Martin thought bitterly as he watched the proceedings.

He had to admit, his cousin had chosen a rather attractive woman to marry, for a British woman at any rate. Martin made a note to stay with French women in the future though.

The Wedding was extremely traditional, done in the old Church of England style of wedding. Martin was bored though. He didn't have any prospects to woo in this particular wedding, which was a bummer. All the bridesmaids were rather closely related to him, and one was his sister, so out of order there. Still, his perverted thoughts had no place in a ceremony like this.

There were, however, plenty of people who weren't Weasleys or Grangers crammed into the Church for the ceremony. Most of them were Order of the Phoenix Members who had been fighting the darkness for some time now. Albus Dumbledore was sitting in the front pew as well, albeit on the other side of the church.

The Priest was going through his spiel, and since Hermione had planned an extremely traditional wedding, the verses were far longer than normal. Then came the vows. Martin almost got sick listening to his cousin vowing to be honorable. In fact, he sniggered lowly, getting an disapproving glare from Molly Weasley. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, though Martin couldn't figure out why.

The Priest got to everyone's favorite part. " If anyone should object to this holy union of man and wife, speak now or forever hold thy peace."

He waited for a couple of minutes, before continuing, " Very well then, by the…."

He was cut off by the Doors of the Cathedral being blasted apart and a giant plume of smoke entering the hall. A voice shouted out, " WHAT'S UP MOTHER FUCKERS!"

The entire audience turned to the entrance. Right in the middle of the aisle, was Harry Potter, wearing what looked like a tuxedo. He wore sunglasses with white rims, and was wearing a blood red top hat. Riding a horse.

4-46-435-75-68-35-62-4573-56846-346-3568-6-4-57-468-45-64-57-456

( Harry Potter)

Harry shouted, " Haven't you people ever heard of closing the goddamn door? I mean, I'm sure there is some sense of rationality here right?"

The stunned wedding audience looked primarily at the horse he was riding. The Priest shouted, " YOU DEFILE THE HOUSE OF GOD!"

Harry shouted back, " Well, right now, I don't rightly give a shit. I don't know if you noticed, but I'm riding a horse. I mean, look at my horse, my horse is amazing right?"

Dumbledore stood up, " Nice to see you again, Harry!"

Harry shouted, " You forfeited the right to call me Harry when you killed my friend, Dumbledore! Rest assured, revenge will be taken!"

Harry raised his right hand, displaying the Potter Lordship ring, " By the right in my blood, I have taken command of House Potter! Know that your treachery has been exposed!"

" Now, for the fun to begin."

The crowd began to titter nervously as the Black Order began to emerge from the shadows. Fleur strode ahead of the Duke of Love himself, who was wearing the bright red tuxedo that went with Harry's top hat. Sirius smiled and took Fleur in his arms. She gave him a really passionate kiss, causing Molly to mutter, " Scarlet woman."

If Molly thought Fleur was a Scarlet Woman, than the Mistresses of Sin that came in behind Sirius should have made her pass out. Bellatrix and Narcissa came in wearing almost transparent dresses made of black silk.

Severus Snape came in wearing a deep purple, velvet suit, with a gold cane that had a snake's head at the top. There was a hawk's feather in his purple Stetson. He was wearing muggle contacts that changed the color of his eyes from black to bright purple. He had some type of furry animal as a neck warmer. When he spoke, it was using a new type of voice machine invented by the Muggles. An Auto-Tune, " Hello everyone. Is it time to party?"

Lupin was wearing a similar suit, except it was gold. He had a ring on every finger of his hand, and a giant clock hanging around his neck. He too had an Auto-Tune voice box, and was using it to talk make machine like noises at the crowd.

Moody was wearing a jet black suit and sunglasses, looking kind of like Ozzy Osbourne. Kingsley was another member of the Pimp squad, wearing a flamboyant pink suit, with a cane that had the words, " Like a Boss" written in Diamonds.

The Weasley Twins, who hadn't been invited to the Wedding, came next, wearing identical periwinkle robes with glittering golden stars all over them. They both carried guitars in the same style, a star. They were wearing bracelets that said, " Like a Boss" in bold lettering.

Harry smiled at his handiwork. It had taken a lot of last minute working, not to mention some special made stuff, and a lot of Gringotts gold, to pull off their outfits. Harry smiled. Sirius hadn't lied when he said that Harry would make it all back up times two.

Molly Weasley shouted, " How dare you come to this wedding you ungrateful bastard?"

Harry laughed, " Because the paper said it was a public event. Why do you ask?"

Molly said in a death whisper, " What paper?"

Harry pulled out an invitation with a flourish, " This one. We, the Weasley Family, invite YOU, Harry James Potter, to the marriage of Ronald Billius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger, etc, etc. You are entitled to bring as many guests as you like."

Molly turned to the Weasleys near her, " WHO DARED TO SEND AN INVITE TO THIS BASTARD?"

Ginny blushed furiously. Simone had convinced her to forge an invite to Harry. Little did she know, Harry had paid Simone to convince someone to forge an invite. Harry had then forged several more invites. Including one to his extra special guest….

" Why, 'ello zere 'Arry! 'Ow goes ze wedding?"

Cheval Royeaux came waltzing through the blasted out doors of the church. Ron blurted out, " Bloody hell, we are fucked."

Harry sneered as Cheval spotted Dumbledore, " 'Ello zere, Dumblydorr. 'Ave you been killing anyone else's innocent daughters lately?"

The tension increased exponentially. Most of the wedding delegation felt their hands go their wands. Harry didn't have that problem, both of his were kept safely in holsters on both arms. He flicked his wrists, and both his Blooddrinker and his Light Wand fell into his hands. Harry pointed one wand at Hermione, and one at Ginny.

Feeling the time approaching, Harry decided to escalate the conflict, " What, you didn't think someone wouldn't have a way for Cheval to get here? Him and Sirius have been chatting for the last week, what else would they be talking about?"

Ron said in an audible voice, " Harry Potter has just played us all like a deck of cards. He isn't just the heir of the Marauders. He's the Lord of the Marauders."

Harry smiled, " Flattery may save you from my wrath, but not Cheval's."

Dumbledore shouted, " You will not take me! It was for the Greater good, and will always be! If I succeed, her sacrifice will be engraved in stone for all to remember!"

Harry shouted, " Very well then. Time to break some chains. I, Harry James Potter, Lord of House Potter, do hear by call forth the Life Debts owed to me by Ginevra Molly Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger! From this day forth, you shall serve only me, until I see fit to release you from my bondage! So Mote Be It!"

A red flash flew from both of Harry's wands, striking Ginny and Hermione in the chest, causing them to double over. That cause the tension to snap. Curses started flying like crazy. Harry found himself ducking his head to avoid a stray stunner, only to almost fall off his horse from a Knockback jinx. Just like that, it stopped. The only people from the wedding delegation remaining were the Grangers, Hermione herself, and Ginny.

Harry sneered, " Well, that went better than expected."

Cheval sneered with equal capacity, " It was too much to 'ope zat one of us could ave hit Dumblydore and 'eld 'im for me."

Harry placed a hand on the furious Lord's shoulder, " Don't worry, Cheval. He will pay for his crimes."

Harry saw Sirius and his fellows drag Hermione and Ginny before him. Harry laughed, " Now payment has come due. Shame I forgot Arthur's sorry ass, but then again, I don't sway that way. Dobby!"

The energetic House Elf that Harry had completely forgotten about over the years appeared, " Harry Potter Sir! What can Dobby be doing for you sir?"

" You can take Ginny and Hermione to the Servant's Quarters in Potter Fortress. Get them assimilated as quickly as possible into the serving schedules."

Dobby was thrilled, " Of course, Great Harry Potter sir!"

With a pleading look from Hermione, Dobby took them both off to Potter Manor. Harry jumped off his horse, and walked over to Sirius, " Well, we had a wedding to break up, and we did it. How do you think this will be seen?"

Sirius smiled, " Expertly done, Harry. Dumbledore will not hear the end of it."

Cheval chuckled, the first positive emotion he had shown since the World Cup accident, " Well, I will need to be getting back to France. Au revoir, Messers Potter and Black."

And he disappeared, no doubt to go talk to his son about it. Harry turned to his godfather, " Well, why don't we party like it's 1999 again?"

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( Pettigrew)

" Peter, how fares the girl?"

Peter bowed, " As well as can be expected, milord. I had to force feed her a Blood Replenisher, and requested a bedding change as well."

" And why is that, Peter?"

Peter hesitated, " Well…."

" Out with it Peter."

Peter sighed, " Milord, Macnair and Dolohov performed within their boundaries, but she bled sir. A lot. They used some not so nice curses."

" We aren't trying to be nice to her, Peter."

Peter frowned, " She may have died, milord, had I not administered the replenisher."

The Dark Lord hissed, " Very well , Wormtail. Know, that you shall have a reward for you well thinking. Gee, if this keeps up, I might actually have let you lead a mission… Go back to the girl, and work your charms. You work differently from the other two. Work psychologically, like only you know how."

Peter bowed again, " I am not worthy, milord."

Voldemort smiled, " Just remember, she is mine."

Peter took his leave.

( Lenore)

The door creaked open, and Lenore instinctively drew into a curled ball. The mouse man, Peter Pettigrew stood in the doorway. He whispered, " You are drawing closer to the edge."

" What…What do you mean?"

Peter smiled in a conniving way, " There is only one way to escape your plight. You know what it is."

Lenore practically screamed, " NON! Someone will come to help me! Someone, something!"

Peter pulled out a paper, " Had it been anyone else, then people would care. Then maybe they would be searching for you. But instead, your father is searching for vengeance."

" Wh…"

She stared in disbelief at the paper he showed her, bearing the Headline, "**Star Chaser Lenore Royeaux Killed in Tragic Accident!"**

She whispered, " No, zis is impossible. Zere is no way!"

Peter smiled, " Yes there is. The Dark Lord planned it out meticulously, after he found out that the old fool had planned to attack you in an attempt to bring Harry Potter back to Britain. He crafted the stasis spell we used himself."

Lenore lowered her eyes, and Peter could practically read her thoughts. _My father said that Harry Potter was a magnet for trouble. So long as no one ever knew who James Black really was, nothing would happen. But we had to get close to him anyway….We just had too….Father was even talking about trying to negotiate with him….._

Peter whispered, " Yessss. It is all his fault. Blame it on Potter. It will be easier that way."

She whispered to herself that this wasn't Harry's fault, but Peter could see the gears grinding away. Sow the seeds of doubt, then watch them grow. Peter whispered, " Are you so captivated by him, that you cannot see the truth? Had Sirius Black never walked through the doors of your Manor, seeking refuge for his godson, this would never have happened. Do not deny it, you know it to be true."

Peter felt it odd that even though he was the one responsible for her health, he had never seen her cry. Not after hours of torture by the Dark Lord himself, or being violently molested by two of the most violent and cruel of all the Death Eaters. But here, at his speaking of the brutal truths, she wept. _Pitiful girl. Well, that American said that the purest of hearted ones make the best evil ones. If she doesn't kill herself, if someone else doesn't kill her, then she may become the greatest of all of us! _Peter thought with glee.

He pulled a small vial out ofhis pocket, " Lenore. The Dark Lord has sent me up here with a task."

Lenore muttered, " A-A-again? B-B-B-But it hasn't been long enough. I've barely healed over…"

Peter smiled, " Well, this is a Potion of Dreamless Sleep. Drink it, and you won't have to worry about the pain then."

What he left out was the loyalty and trust potions added to it. Peter had picked up the hobby of Assassin from a book he had been reading one day whilst the other Death Eaters were off gathering random ingredients. Since one of Peter's only skills had been his Potion skills, brewing powerful poisons came naturally. Severus was a great brewer of Healing potions, and potions in general, but Peter was his superior when it came to Poisons.

Luckily, most books counted Love, Loyalty, Trust, and Manipulation potions as poisons, so Peter became very familiar with them. He watched the girl drink the whole vial. He saw her droop off into a dreamless sleep. Peter always felt a little guilty whenever he did something like this. It was one of the reasons he had never been a highly thought of Death Eater. Peter never claimed his reward that night. The Castle slept peacefully…

A/N: No, that wasn't a rape scene with Macnair and Dolohov. Peter was supposed to be the one, but didn't do it to his own punishment later.

**Potter Fortress:** Harry's new home was commissioned while he was still in France a couple of years prior to this chapter. It is an underground fortress modeled after Orzammar ( Dragon Age) and Nargothrond ( Silmarillion).

Harry's Outfit: Secret, but plenty of hints.

**Sirius's outfit:** Modeled after the suit worn by Panic! at the Disco's lead singer during the " I write Sins not Tragedies" Music Video.

Kingsley's Outfit: Got to the CheeseBurger Network, find the "Like a Boss" Meme in the memebase, and go through it. You'll eventually find a guy walking down the street wearing a bright pink suit.

The Weasley Twins: Same Thing, just go looking for the Bass Player with the periwinkle robes and star shaped bass.

Snape's Outfit: Modeled after the screen shot I saw of Saint's Row 3's new pimp. Auto Tone included.

Lupin: Mixture.


	8. Chapter 7  Unbowed and Unbroken

Chapter 7 Unbowed and Unbroken

A/N: This chapter is mostly about the ever vexing" Power He Knows Not!" and what my version of it is.

Review response:

Ravenic Tauro : Boy I guess some people rather like Lenore then. She is a bit different than my normal OCs.

On that note, to everyone else who wondered whether she would be rescued or not, yes she will be, but what Voldemort plans to do ( revealed in this chapter) is a big part as we approach the real fighting.

Harry glared at Hermione with a fierceness that made her want to burst into flames in front of him and just die. He was always fiddling one of two rings. His marriage bond, which had two emeralds and a sapphire in it to mark his marriages to Tracey Davis, Daphne Greengrass, and Gabrielle Delacour. The other hung on a chain, and had a ruby insert, and on the inside, she could see the initials, LCR.

Harry had always taken loyalty way too seriously, and when Dumbledore had shown up at that Match, and killed that girl on his team, he had entered what Ron and Hermione had called Surly Harry back at Hogwarts. Only, he wasn't surly this time. He wasn't feeling emotions. He was cold and calculating, his exterior reminding those that saw him of Severus Snape back in Potions. It reminded Severus Snape of the Dark Lord.

Hermione had never seen him take off either ring, but to look at either for too long was to risk getting a curse thrown at you. Ginny had found this out the hard way. It had taken almost a week to get her arm healed from whatever blood curse Harry had used.

One great thing about being a Potter servant, as Hermione found, was that she could access the Potter Library. It was a _huge_ library with books on nearly every subject. She found an interesting book called Soulfire, and had begun to read it. She had deduced that Harry was a Soul Mage, capable of using his emotions to fuel his spells, at the risk of maybe burning his Soul away.

It appeared that when in a state of extreme focus, a Soul Mage could use magic that many had never even heard of. One such ability was the Fade Teleporter that Harry had used to travel from France to Gringotts to Grimmauld Place as though the wards in such places didn't exist. There were other such abilities that could only be accessed in what was called the Soul Burn. The term was never explained in the book, and only one ability was listed, called Starfall.

She rediscovered the term in another book, called the _Heresy of Blood Magic_ though she doubted the terms met the same thing. In the Heresy, the term was described as the ultimate release of emotions, to such a form that the user would be surrounded by a vortex of swirling energy. She remembered Harry saying that Guillaume had done something like this after finding his sister dead….

_Well, he is a Duelist, and Duelists are the ones who make the most use of this particular skill. Though not many wizards can learn the most vital step, called the "Veneer of Calm" whatever that is, it is a powerful skill that is similar to Occulumency. But Harry was a failure at Occlumency! So how can he do it? _Hermione wondered as she gave him his cold one for the day. Harry had taken to drinking one cold beer a day, he didn't know why, but he did.

Harry took a sip from the Budweiser that Hermione had brought. He remembered Snape saying that Liquor was good for calming one's nerves, but that guy was a problem drinker, and Harry wasn't. Harry KNEW why his nerves were driving him nuts, it was his insane "Save People" thing, and it was basically attacking him because he hadn't been able to save her. Sirius had suggested weed, but Harry wasn't ready to go all stoner.

Harry twiddled his Blooddrinker. Hermione always got creeped out by that wand. Something about it was just _wrong_. It glimmered in the dark light of Harry's study, hidden deep within the new Potter Manor. New Potter Manor was veritable fortress that Harry had hired Dwarves to build underground, modeled after the descriptions of Erebor that he had found in The Hobbit. It had taken three years to build, but since Harry had hired six separate Dwarf Clans, plus the Goblins to build it, it was an implacable fortress that not even Hell itself would be able to approach without him knowing.

Hermione really didn't like the Blooddrinker, because Harry would every now and then, ask her to slit her arm and let blood drip onto the wand. While she didn't like doing this, the wand really freaked her out because it would absorb all of the blood, get slightly larger, and then shrink again. The only difference, was that the ruby wand looked more like blood afterward. Harry had been delighted to tell her that he had been "donating" his own blood for years to the wand to enhance its powers.

Ginny didn't like the wand either. She had donated a little blood to it, but Harry hadn't used her very much since the wand only marginally responded to Ginny. Not that this had bothered Ginny that much…

In short, being Harry's servant was pretty much what they had expected. He very rarely used them, spending most of his time enveloped by his stratagems and tactics. Hermione had found him in his War Room, and saw a mess. Scrolls upon scrolls, stacks of parchment almost to the ceiling high, was littered around the room. And Harry just kept adding more, drawing elaborate battle plans, running insane and unlikely scenarios in his mind constantly. Hermione had never seen such elaborate plans before, and she made a habit to read books like "_The Art Of War"_

Harry often laughed like a madman while working. This was one of the worst things about being Harry's Life Bound Servant. She could feel everything he could, and it sometimes drove her nuts. When he was laughing, she had the uncontrollable urge to do so as well. When he started screaming in rage, she had the urge to do so as well. Not being able to control her own emotions was rather pissing Hermione off.

What Hermione didn't know, but Harry did, was that these vents of emotion were the way that he was able to keep his Veneer of Calm that allowed him to access the Soul Magic he had been learning ever since the accident at the World Cup had revealed that he could use them. Weeks later, and he still had to struggle to keep the burning anger under control, and the undying sadness at the loss of yet another friend.

Harry had discovered what Moony had been calling Harry's Emotional Control Outlet Syndrome, several years before. It allowed him to vent his emotions via Life Debt Bonds, thus riding himself of emotions that he wasn't able to bear at the moment. Harry had learned to control this bond, and subtly suggest actions to those bonded and those too close to the bonded. Like a husband. The only person Harry had never been able to vent through was Peter Pettigrew, and Harry often wondered why he had even saved the bastard's life in the first place.

Anyway, the Bonds let him vent the emotions, thus keeping his calm in situations that he certainly would have blown his top in. Like the World Cup incident. Harry never had the chance to ask Hermione or Ginny how they were feeling that particular day, because he feared that he might accidently blast them to pieces if they told him they were angry or something.

But today brought something cheerful for once.

Harry heard the wards ping, and answered the front gate to be surprised by a jubilant Daphne Greengrass, followed by a somewhat happy looking Tracey. Harry shouted, " Hey! How are you two doing?"

Tracey smiled, " Fine, considering you left us in France for a couple of weeks with no supervision."

Harry's expression darkened considerably, telling Tracey she had made a mistake. Daphne headed him off, " Don't worry Harry! It will all work out in the end. Just like our marriages right?"

" Hmm, yeah." Harry remembered how upset Tracey had been when she wrote to him about the contract. She had written to him in the form of a Howler. But she had come around.

Tracey snickered, " I agree with Daphne. You need to get your head out your ass, and come out into the Real World for once. You're so pale, it's like you haven't been outside in three weeks."

" Because I haven't….."

Daphne's mouth dropped, " Well, Harry that means we need to take you shopping!"

Harry went into to poker face mode, " Oh fuck."

Tracey added, " Leave that ring of yours here too. You need to get it off your mind."

Harry sighed, took the necklace off, and ran in. He went into his study, not his bedroom, and left the necklace on the table. He hoped no one would touch it.

He called to Dobby who appeared, " Tell Hermione and Ginny they've got free run of the place as long as they stay out of my room while I'm gone. "

With that, Harry Potter made his first public appearances in almost a month.

3-45-346-45-756-86-85-679-3-654-34-5-67-8-8-56-75-5-75-6-568-56-856-7-568-6-6-75-67-5

( Dark Lord)

" How fares your progress, Wormtail?"

Peter kneeled, " She only trusts me when drugged, milord. She fights rather admirably against the trust potions. But I am still able to probe her into telling darkest secrets."

Voldemort sneered slightly, " Good. Continue."

" She speaks of private things she hadn't even seen fit to tell her brother. By her own confession, she said they kept no secrets between each other. She says that her brother has an immense superiority complex, and that he often made her feel down. Her skills lay mostly in Quidditch, though she does have some skill as a Defender."

Voldemort cackled, " Good! She is revealing things that she would tell no one to you. You must teach me your secrets, Peter."

Peter chuckled, " I'm sorry, milord, but with your visage, it would take more than just trust and loyalty potions to trust you if I hadn't already sworn allegiance to you."

Voldemort laughed, something that was foreign to the Death Eater, " Do not worry, Peter. I know a joke when I hear one, even if that one can be taken quite seriously. Continue."

" She says that she grew close to Potter while he was rooming with the Royeauxs in France. For five years, she and her brother were his only friends, outside of his three betrothed witches. Though Lenore says that she doubts that Harry trusts all of them explicitly to this day. She said that Potter never trusted Martin Weasley, despite the man's upfront and honorable stances. Appears that Harry's history with the Weasleys precluded any sort of business relationship."

The Dark Lord sneered, " Yes, I have often heard of Potter's precarious relationship with the Weasleys even before their arch betrayal. Continue."

" Lenore has told me that her father had often hoped to convince Harry to take her as a fourth wife, but he stonewalled him every time. While Harry always insisted that it was nothing personal, she always took it with a grain of salt."

Voldemort crossed his hands, " A seed of jealousy. Which wife in particular was she jealous of?"

" Tracey Davis, milord. She knew that Davis had no love for Potter, in fact, you might say she hated him because of Sirius Black. So she couldn't understand why Harry would put up with her, and not just immediately get rid of her to take up another wife instead. She confessed to being very depressed when she found out that Tracey had finally come around to Potter, and that Harry was now happily married to three witches. She, actually broke down while telling me this. As you know, I have only seen her cry once until now."

Voldemort, being the Lord who admired stalwartness, " I know, and I have been impressed that she could endure such pain without shedding a tear, though her personal life appears to have been more torment than I could issue in a year. Continue."

" Well, she was pleased that she was able to join the French Quidditch Team at such a young age, setting the precedent that allowed Robert Guiscard, Age 16, to join. But she always felt like she was in James Black's shadow. First it was her brother's, then it was Harry Potter. She sounds like a female Ronald Weasley, only able to control herself and make the best out of it."

Voldemort hissed slightly, " Au contraire, Peter. The fact that she has made something out of her life automatically means that she has no comparison to Ronald Weasley, who is the new Flying Instructor at Hogwarts. Had she been born in Britain, she would have been hailed as a prodigy for her flying skills, but born in a country that hadn't had a team qualify for the World Cup Tournament in almost a hundred years is a different story."

Peter smiled, " She and Harry Potter would be best of friends, no doubt."

Voldemort hissed, " Yes, Potter has a tendency to befriend people who have similar talents to his own."

Peter continued, " Well, I think we are almost at her breaking point. I think that maybe making the offer now would be beneficial."

" Do it."

They didn't know that they were wrong.

12-34-34-4-6-457-4568-67-856-8-56-4-3-453-45-45-756-7-67-456-456-56-756-86-86-78-567-6

( Ron)

Ron finally tore himself away from Dumbledore and the other Phoenix members with a yell, " Why doesn't anyone listen to me?"

Dumbledore glared at Ron, but it was his mother who chastised him, " RON! Don't you talk to the Headmaster like that!"

" I TOLD him this would happen! Potter would come back with a vengeance! And that he's working with the Royeauxs, makes this an even worse situation!"

Dumbledore frowned, " Mr. Weasley, you would do well to remember that no enemy has set foot within the Great Hall since the castle was built a thousand years ago. But we have better things to worry about. Our forces must be ready for when Mr. Potter inevitably attacks."

McGonagall nodded, " In all my years, I never anticipated that we would face so much opposition, though I can't help but think that we have brought at least one side of this war on ourselves."

Dumbledore hissed, " I have good information that Cheval Royeaux will take care of himself. My new spy reports that something is already in motion by the Dark Lord to take him out. As for the Black Order, I have no idea what their next plan is, though I imagine we will be taking a lot of flak in the newspapers for the next few days."

Ron muttered, " Like we haven't already…."

Sinistra commented, " Ronald has a good point. Ever since Gabrielle Delacour made that damning description of you to the papers, every paper in the world has been tearing our heads off, almost literally! I can't even look at the Quibbler without seeing something along the lines of ' Dumbledore the innocent killer' or something like that!"

Dumbledore refuted that argument, " Remember, even though Xeno is completely committed to us, his daughter is technically Sirius' because Xeno can't have children, and he had to have some sort of collateral for a loan."

Minerva frowned, " Playing with the Blacks is expensive business I guess."

3-523-46-576-56-86-78-6-34-34-2345-6456-8-56-34-573-83-8-356-98-6-75-5-65-7-567-9-7

( Potter Fortress)

Sirius Black came through the Floo, the only way into Potter Fortress without braving three squads of Goblins, four dragons, and a horde of centaurs. Not including the Army of Dwarves that Harry had hired, and were now volunteering to guard his fortress. Unless you had clearance.

Hermione greeted him, " Hey Sirius."

Sirius looked at her with a withering look, " Servant Granger, where is Lord Potter?"

Hermione frowned at the formality, " Lord Potter is shopping with the Ladies Potter."

It was Sirius' turn to frown, " Oh, I feel sorry for him."

Hermione smiled, " I don't. I think Harry will be just fine. A little air and sun will do him good."

Sirius answered, " You do remember that as a Lord, you are supposed to refer to me as Lord Black, and refer to your master as Lord Potter correct?"

" I don't know, Lord Black. Harry gave me and Ginny a little leeway. He spends most of his time working on his strategies, or fiddling with his rings. There's one over there."

Sirius saw the necklace with the ring that Harry said that Lenore had given him before she had died, " Hermione? Do you have any idea what this means?"

" I don't know, Lord Black, but I do know better than to touch it. He will attack if you look at it too long."

Sirius fidgeted for a moment, " Then how in the world does he keep all that anger hidden away, I wonder? Could it be that Moony was right? Hermione? I allow you to call me Sirius, but you must answer my questions. How did you feel on the day of the World Cup Semi Final? From the beginning to end of the day."

Hermione took a deep breath, " Well, Sirius. I'm not rightly sure. I woke up that day feeling fine. I was happy to be marrying Ron, because even though we hadn't like the idea originally, we eventually came to the conclusion that Dumbledore would eventually try to use us to force Harry back. So we got over our differences, and this made it easy for us to be a couple."

Sirius muttered, " Get on with the story, Hermione. I don't have all day. Maybe back before I found out you were trying to get money and books from me in death, I would have gladly listened, but not now, not six years later."

Hermione quivered a little, " Well, like I said, I woke up feeling really good. At about noon, which Ron said was the starting time for the match, I started to feel really nervous. Ginny was that way too, and Ron said he had sinking feeling in his stomach. "

_Harry was venting his nerves. The boy can face a Dark Lord with a laugh on his tongue, but gets the jitters before a Quidditch match, _Sirius thought passively.

" I had this elated feeling for an hour. I didn't understand it. I felt like Harry said he felt when he was flying. But why would he be flying, I had wondered. Either way, I could almost hear the words, Come on! Just a little closer! In my mind, and then stunning elation. I felt like cheering for about a minute. I was about to jump on Ron, and Ginny was about to attack Neville for some action, when suddenly it all disappeared."

_That's when Dumbledore hit Lenore. Harry would take the death of a friend very seriously._ Sirius thought bitterly.

" All three of us sat there numbly for a few seconds. Then it erupted. It started off with Ginny sobbing, but then she just starting wailing, absolutely bawling. Like someone was ripping her heart out. Neville stunned Ginny, because she kept trying to hurt herself."

_Wow. Harry was really venting some emotions then. Next would be the anger._

" Then, I saw red. I don't know what happened, but it was like some floodgate in my mind had opened and all the anger I had ever felt in my life had burst forth. Molly had to throw us out of the Burrow, because I blasted the walls off of Ron's room. It took a day or so to repair it. Ron didn't understand any of it. All he said was that I kept muttering something about Dumbledore doing something unspeakable, something he could never repent for. I just felt like exploding and destroying everything."

Sirius looked thoughtful, " Hermione, I need to tell you something. You may not take it well. Promise to me that you will not do something rash?"

" Of course not Sirius! Since when have I ever done something rash?"

Sirius cut his eyes so darkly at her that she flinched, " You really don't want me to answer that question. Now, apologize."

" O-O-Of course, this one is sorry for her intrusion into Lord Black's private life."

Sirius smiled, " Good. Now, onto business. Harry's what they call a Soul Mage. Some wizards can use emotions to power their spells. But to do so, they have to acquire what is called the Veneer of Calm. This means they absolutely cannot feel emotions in order to actually use them. But you know that Harry has always been an emotional man. After all, Cedric Diggory wasn't even his friend, and yet he tore himself to pieces over his death. How could he get rid of all that excessive emotion? Well, that involves you and Ginny."

Hermione gulped, " How?"

Sirius explained, " Apparently, you and Harry were so close before your little incident a few years ago, that a special type of Life Debt, called a Life Bond, formed. It allows him to vent his emotions in you and, by proxy, Ginny. And no, you can't reciprocate it either. It's just him. You do realize that when he called in your Life Debts, he could have ordered your life Forfeit and killed you right?"

Hermione shook her head. Sirius chuckled darkly, " I had an uncle that happened too. His rival saved his life, and then he turned on him, so the rival took his life to pay the debt. At least you will be working your debt off, and it doesn't sound like Harry has you doing much."

Hermione shook her head, " No he doesn't. Me and Ginny spend most of our time doing exercises to stay healthy. Harry occasionally watches, claiming that one of his organs needs some entertainment, but I find that hard to believe. After all, he has a Half-Veela who is more attractive than Fleur is now, and probably the best looking girls our Year from Hogwarts as his wives? What more exercise does he need in bed?"

Sirius smiled, " He's only 21 Hermione. I was still using the Duke of Love to plow my way into exclusive Pureblood circles by hitting up witches by the dozen by that age. Hell, if James and Lily hadn't married almost as soon as they left school, I think James would have been doing it with me. It's certainly not normal to have a sex drive like mine, but I believe Harry just gets tired of the same stuff over and over again. Which is why I am so very surprised he stonewalled so many people for that Fourth Wife."

Hermione, being a proper girl from a rather moral Christian family, was disgusted, " Sirius Black! What type of horrors and sins have you bequeathed unto Harry? Not that it is normal to have three wives, but to actually get bored of them?"

Sirius raised a cocky eyebrow, " Which is the exact reason he never brings you or Ginny into the equation either. Too many morals. Now, Ginny's cousin on the other hand, she's not so compromising…."

" Sirius, you can't possibly tell me you had sex with a girl who is almost twenty years younger than you."

Sirius laughed, " I do it all the time, what's the problem? I do it even more often since Fleur came to the Black Order."

" A serious question here. Do you have sex with EVERY female Black Order member?"

Sirius narrowed his eyes, " Maybe… Well, except Bella and Narcissa. They're Moony's. Well, Harry took'em both at once too, I think that taught him a little something."

3453-46-57-56-86-86-643-423-4-5675-8-65-34-453-2-1-34-56-7-65-65-35-75-67-6575-6\

( Dark Lord)

While Harry Potter was enjoying his first public appearance since the World Cup Tragedy, the woman who had been part of that tragedy, was getting attention from Wormtail.

Peter smiled in a trusting way, " Don't worry, Lenore. I'm certain that nothing more will happen to you. But I cannot guarantee this, if you do not first accept my offer."

" But Peter, zis is almost impossible for me to do! My own mother was killed by ze Death Eaters!"

Peter countered, " Those Death Eaters have long since died or been captured, most likely killed. These Death Eaters are different, and the Dark Lord has plans for you. You have great potential that has long been overshadowed by the oppression of your brother, and the colossal shadow of Harry Potter. This is your chance to step out, and seize power!"

She still defied him, " All ze same, I will not join ze Death Eaters!"

Peter frowned heavily, " What part of no one is coming for you? That no one will ever find you? Don't you seem to understand? You'd be lucky if we let your uptight ass brother find your corpse!"

" Still, I will not! Zere is always a chance!"

The Dark Lord himself lingered outside of the room, _Excellent. Now I can proceed with destroying both sides. Lenore Constance Royeaux, you've become my secret weapon. With you, I can access and destroy things that would take me years to even find. You have become my key to the future._

The Dark Lord called to Peter, who came bustling out the room. Voldemort hissed, " Drug her again tonight, and arrange for Severus to 'Find' her. Then I will need you to brew me this potion. Be sure to grab a locket of hair."

Peter looked at the potion, aghast. This was some really dark shit here. A potion to make a girl pregnant without having sex with her?

A/N: Quick updates! Hooray right? Anyway, here are some references and notes. Next up? Lenore gets rescued by Snape, but what's wrong with her?

**The Potion:** That Potion is an idea I found one night a few months ago while trolling around FanFic. net. In favor of not spoiling the story, just know that it was a "Potter Goes to Azkaban, and comes back to find his friends want to make up!" stories.

**Soul Magic:** Soulfire basically, see earlier chapters.

**Lupin's Pairing: **Yes, Moony gets BOTH the Black sisters. A suitable replacement for Tonks ( even if she's one of my favorite characters) don't you think?


	9. Chapter 8 The War Of Thrones Begins

Chapter 8 The War of the Thrones Begins

What to expect this chapter: Some more, tangible history of the Royeauxs revealed. You get to learn their best kept secret. They aren't the Royal Cousins of Louis XVI. They are heirs of someone more powerful. Also, everyone gets their weapons for the coming war.

Review Response: Albaholly: Well, I thought a little bit of humor in the darker times of this story wouldn't be too out of place, but I guess I was wrong.

The Potion: Unfortunately, I can't remember what that story was called that had the Potion in it. What I do remember, is that it didn't have a Pairing. It was just a Harry Potter story, and it had him listed as the main character. Some of the people who have reviewed this story have communities. Maybe it's under one of their communities. I know Sakura Lisel has one, Forsaken Fate, Forsaken Destiny. It's M rated.

Finally: Maybe in the end, Lenore may join Daphne, Tracey and Gabrielle, but Simone was a fling. Kind of like Ginny in some ways.

**"Bold" = French**

**Headline!:** Daily Prophet Headlines.

_" All I ever feel is, all I ever see is. Their rise and fall, and the march of the others begins…The War of the Thrones Shall Begin."_ Blind Guardian, 2010 "_The War Of the Thrones" _

_"Charlemagne! Charlemagne your kingdoms are there for all to see, your power and your glory of your destiny! The Dawning of a new age, will shine just like a star"_ Christopher Lee's _Charlemagne, By the Sword and Cross._ 2010. Act V Starlight.

Severus Snape was summoned by the Dark Lord for the first time in almost a month. Naturally, the Dark Lord wanted him to brew some potions, but Pettigrew had told him to take a trip by the Dungeons to clear his mind. Snape walked into the cell, and almost fainted.

He looked at the only prisoner in the cell. _Sunlight blonde hair, sky blue eyes. Wearing white robes. That looks just like that girl in the papers! But that would mean that she didn't die, she was just kidnapped, and it was all just an elaborate ruse by the Dark Lord!_ Snape thought, not realizing how close, yet so far he was from the truth. He scooped the drugged woman into his arms, and apparated out.

Behind him, a rat with a metallic paw, and a large snake with red eyes changed back into human forms. Peter tittered, " It worked better than I planned!"

Voldemort looked at his unusual second in command, " It did. I'll be honest, I hadn't expected this to go over so smoothly. I wonder what Severus will do when he finds out her secret?"

Peter and Voldemort cackled together evilly.

( Grimmauld Place)

Sirius was shaken awake by someone slamming on his door. He did a Ward Scan, and found Snake outside. He undid the locks, and Snape bustled in, carrying a woman. Sirius frowned, " What have I told you about drugging women Snake?"

Snake snapped back, " This is no joke, Black! Get Potter, now! Tell him to bring that Royeaux, Guillaume, as well. Hurry!"

Sirius frowned, but quickly threw some Floo Powder into the Fireplace, shouted, " Potter Fortress!" and vanished in the swirl of fire.

When he got out, he got a hell of a view of Harry getting his kicks with Tracey Davis. Harry shouted, " Sirius! What have I told you about coming in unannounced?"

Sirius smacked himself, trying not to look at the topless girl who looked so much like his former love, " How many times have I told you not to be having sex right in front of the Floo Connector?"

Harry frowned, " Touché."

Sirius grabbed a shirt, and threw it at Harry " Put some clothes on. Do you know where Guillaume Royeaux is?"

Harry glared at Sirius, " Padfoot, Guillaume is probably visiting his sister's grave at the Royeaux Mausoleum. It's under the house."

Sirius raised his eyebrows, " Who the hell puts a mausoleum under their house?"

" Don't ask, he won't tell I guarantee it. What's so urgent?"

Sirius looked at Harry with a serious look, " Do not go to Grimmauld Place until I get back, ok?"

" Alright. "

With that, Sirius took some of Harry's Floo Powder, shouted " Royeaux Manor!" and vanished into the flames.

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( Royeaux Manor)

Guillaume was actually not in the Mausoleum, but in the foyer of the Manor, waiting for his father to finish getting ready for a visit to Crystal Alley, when Sirius Black came running out of the Floo. He shouted in French at Guillaume, " **Get your father! We think we found your sister!"**

Guillaume was about to hex Sirius for lying when his father shouted, " **What? You found Lenore?"**

** " Yes, we have her at Grimmauld Place. Snake is running some health checks on her."**

Cheval frowned, " **Health checks? Siri, she's dead."**

** " No she isn't. Come with me."**

Sirius led them into Potter Fortress. Harry, now dressed, hissed, " What did I say about coming in unannounced?"

Sirius chuckled, " Be quiet, Harry. Now, to Grimmauld Place."

The three followed Sirius through the Floo, and back into Grimmauld Place. Snape was sitting on the couch, writing some notes down on some parchment. Sirius shouted, " Snake! What's the word?"

Snape smiled, " She's perfectly fine, besides some Cruciatus side effects, and a few Dark Curses is was able to remove. Well, almost perfectly fine. I detect some sort of potion in her veins. I don't know what it is, or what it does, so I'm worried. It is a dark potion, I can ascertain that."

Cheval frowned, before muttering to Sirius for him to translate, " **This isn't good, Siri. Lenore was so much like her mother I didn't want to lose her so fast. Who knows what this potion might do?"**

Snape answered after receiving a translation, " Well, I'm working as hard as a I can to find out what it is. At the very least, we will keep her here while I work on her." Noticing Sirius' chuckle and Cheval's furious look, Snape knew Sirius hadn't translated what he had said exactly right, " What did you say Sirius?"

Sirius laughed, " I told him, ' At the very least, I will keep her here while you fuck her.'"

Harry frowned, " Not a good time for crude jokes, Sirius."

Guillaume nodded, and Sirius got the message. He retranslated what he should have said, and Cheval loosened up. Harry said forcefully, " But this changes nothing! Dumbledore still is responsible for whatever happened to Lenore, and he must pay for it."

Cheval growled, " **If I have to tear this country apart to find him, then I will. I have the resources to do so."**

Guillaume replied, " **Yes, I know not what my sister has had to endure in whoever's presence she was in, but she will be avenged."**

Snape answered, " I found her in one of the Prison Cells of Nurmengard. The Dark Lord had her. That is why I am so nervous about this potion, or rather, its side effects."

Cheval glared, and Harry asked, " What side effects?"

Snape sighed, " It appears she is showing early signs of pregnancy."

You could have heard a pin drop in the silence. Finally, Harry broke the silence, " Pregnancy? But I thought Lenore was pure."

Cheval glared at Harry, " **So did I, and she would never hide anything from me or Guillaume. This must have happened while she was in captivity. Some bastard must have raped her."**

Snape countered, " I don't think so. If anything, it looks like she was lovingly caressed by Dark Lord standards,", seeing everyone's horrified looks, Snape replied, " No, I don't think she gave herself to the Dark Lord. I think, actually, that I have heard of a potion that can create a child using just the hairs of the people intended to be the parents. It can even be someone who is dead."

Guillaume muttered, " Zis is unfortunate, but I am glad that she is alive. I 'ave missed my sister something terribly. I realize that I 'aven't always been ze nicest person to her, but she is still my only sibling."

Cheval nodded in agreement. Sirius extended his hand, " **If you want to stay here, we still have a few rooms open. "**

Cheval nodded, " **Tomorrow, I have something that needs done. I must take my place as France's Magical Leader, before more Dissidents try to usurp my power. A visit to the Louvre is in order I believe."**

Both Harry and Sirius looked at Guillaume curiously, who's mouth was hanging wide open. Cheval ordered his son to stay behind, and he simply nodded. Cheval announced, " **I shall spend the night. Alert me if Lenore shall awake or show activity."**

Snape answered, " Of course, Lord Royeaux."

Harry announced, " I have business to attend to with Gringotts as well. I shall return in an hour or so, but it appears that they discovered something I was supposed to have."

Sirius sighed, " Damn, all of my company is leaving me!"

Snape glared, " Don't be so light hearted."

" Why not? You need to loosen up, Snake. Come, I hope the next female Black Order Member is closer to your age, because we need to get you laid."

Snape gave Sirius an icy cold glare, to which he only laughed. Snape muttered, " Black, I think I know an antidote to the potion, but it is risky. It's called the Moon's Bane potion."

Sirius raised an eyebrow, " Any particular reason why? Sounds more like something for wolfy boys like Moony."

Snape scratched his head, " Well, in the olden days, people used to keep track of when women were fertile by the cycles of the moon. That's why. But I am not exactly certain I should attempt the use of this potion."

" Why?"

Snape looked at Sirius, " Because there is a small chance that the potion will render her completely infertile."

" Yeah that might be a problem. A big problem. So, we either let her bear whoever's kid this is, or we run the risk of making her sterile."

Snape darkened even further, " There is one other option. Muggle abortion."

Sirius blanched, " I don't know how that would roll over with Cheval, or anyone else for that matter. I'm sure you know how much of a fuss that's causing in the U.S right now? Is there no other way?"

Snape shook his head, " I shall continue to search, but if there is a sure fire antidote with no potentially life changing side effects, I will try to find it. I also don't think the potion has been activated yet. Whoever intends for her to become pregnant will only have a month window to activate the potion fully. Right now, her body is just preparing her for the pregnancy, but if the user doesn't activate it, then it won't matter. There is one other issue to address."

Sirius rolled his eyes, " Another? You said that a few issues ago!"

Snape scowled, " This one is rather important. It appears that the Dark Lord himself administered this potion."

Sirius dropped the glass of Firewhisky he had just poured, " You mean this girl might be carrying the child of Lord Voldemort himself? Do you have any idea what might happen to her if someone found out about this? It would be exactly what Dumbledore would need to sway the war into his favor! "

" Yes I can see it now. Prophet screaming, ' Sirius Black and the Order of the Blacks found nursing the Dark Lord's Child!' Sorry, I'm not a Black, so I may be wrong, but that doesn't sound like good press."

Sirius vanished the mess with a swift _Evanesco_ before answering, " I don't know if we Blacks would be able to counter that one. It would be exactly what Dumbledore needs to bring public opinion against us. Blacks work in the shadows, so we need to have a public semblance. Without it, we can't play our games that we love so dearly."

Snape muttered, " Then we had better hope Harry and Chevalier can bring their own troops to the battle."

Moony came out of the Floo network, getting some eyes. " What? Did I miss something?"

" A lot, Moony. I have a valid question to ask Madame Bones though. Is Magical Britain like Normal Britain? A coalition of three nations bound into one? If it is, then we may have our answer on how Chevalier can bring his troops to battle."

Moony looked at Sirius with a strange look, " I don't get it, why?"

Snape sneered, " Simple, Wolfie. Black is asking whether or not we can split Magical Britain back into Magical Wales, Magical England, and Magical Scotland."

Moony gave a small hiss, which caused Sirius to reply, " Think about it Moony. We can't let ourselves be devastated by a Civil War. If we dissolve the Great Unification, then we can wage war as an independent country. Of course, once this reaches Wales and Scotland, wizards and witches there might be really pissed…."

" A chance we have to be willing to take,", Moody chanted as he entered the room, " That is Dumbledore's biggest problem, he doesn't take chances. He will always choose the prudent course of action, no matter how nonsensical it may seem. He is always a little too cautious, though I still wonder what possessed him to attack the girl in there."

Madame Bones came out of the Floo, " I heard something about dissolving the Great Unification?"

Sirius muttered, " Is it possible to dissolve Magical Britain, and replace it with Magical England, Magical Wales, and Magical Scotland?"

Madame Bones was incredulous," Of course! Why do you think each region has its own Quidditch teams? But, why?"

Moony intervened, " Padfoot is thinking about using it to allow Cheval to declare war on Scotland, since that's where Hogwarts is, rather than having to have him declare war on Britain."

Most of the team let out an ah. Kingsley muttered, " That actually sounds like a good idea, but what will the Scots do if we do this?"

Sirius answered, " The hope is that we can get in and get out before it becomes apparent, but I hope to smooth it over if something does happen."

Snape muttered in the background, " The best laid plans never survive contact with the enemy."

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( Gringotts)

" Lord Potter! Such a nice pleasure to see you again."

Harry wasn't fooled, Direhit's voice certainly didn't reflect the sincerity of his words. Harry answered, " Manager Direhit, I was made aware that certain things involving my heritage were discovered?"

Direhit gave a sigh, " Yes, yes it was. It appears the lost House of Peverell has at last been rediscovered within you. They left you a couple of very interesting things."

Harry was interested, " And what are they?"

Direhit gave a signal to his assistant, who disappeared. He came back holding a bracer, and a sheathed sword. Harry thought he recognized the blade, " Manager Direhit, is that the Sword of Godric Gryffindor?"

Direhit sneered, " Yes it is. It is yours for many reasons."

Harry took the sheathed blade from the Goblin who brought it in. He drew it slightly, to see the silver blade and the runes of Gryffindor's name. " But I'm not the Heir of Gryffindor. The Weasleys are aren't they?"

The Manage gave a slight smile, " Directly yes. But you have a higher claim. You, are the heir of Godric's grandfather instead. The Peverell line founded the Gryffindor line long ago, just as it helped found the Potter line. By the way, if you ever wondered where these names come from, the Gryffindor name comes from Godric's father being the Duke of Gryffin's Moor. See, Gryffindor. The Potter name comes from the fact that your great ancestors were clay pot makers."

Harry chuckled at the irony, " So I'm guessing my ancestors married into nobility then?"

" Exactly. Much like the Weasleys have tried to do in recent years. But Pureblood families keep distorted records of many marriages. After all, you are funnily enough Dumbledore's heir as well. That means you are also Ravenclaw's heir. So you are the Peverell Heir, which gives you precedence over the Weasley Gryffindor heirs, and you are the only scion of the Ravenclaw line. Interesting heritage isn't it?"

Harry slid the brace on his left arm, " You could say that. What does the brace do?"

A Goblin Arms Master shouted, " Look on the bottom of the brace, and find the slot. Insert your wand into the slot, and it will project a shield to protect you."

Harry pulled out his seldom used Diamond wand, and slid it into the brace. A golden shield came forth, shrouding his arm like a Targe shield. Harry looked at it, " What type of spells can this block?"

" We believe that it can block most things shy of dark arts."

Harry muttered, " Well, this weapon will make me invincible against Dumbledore. He may know them, but he doesn't have the stomach to use them. Or so I've been given the impression to believe."

The Goblin King, Ragnok, made an appearance, " Impressions are not always to be believed, Lord Potter. The Old One is a crafty man who has much power in many forms. Dumbledore is not always who he seems. There's a reason he's lived so long with no signs of slowing down, and it may not be a good one."

Harry pursed his lips. That wasn't good news at all. Harry did have a sudden question, " I know Gringotts' policies on customer privacy, but what is the heritage of the Royeauxs, and why would Chevalier Royeaux go to the Louvre in France?"

Ragnok answered, "It's an urban legend that they are descended of Charles Martel, or Charles the Hammer. Though no one exactly knows who they are entirely related to, it is safe to assume that they were nobility at that time. They can trace their lines all the way back to before Charlemagne, and this would fit that time line. It's why they've been nobility in France for so long. Much like your own, only half of the family history is known. No one knows who Angelica Royeaux was the daughter of, only that she married a Roland Royeaux. As such, her maiden name remains a mystery. Legends say it was Martel."

Harry muttered, " And Martel was one of the great Frankish Kings. Isn't one of his battles where the Song of Roland comes from?"

" It is believed that the Song of Roland is about a young knight commander in Martel's army, who brashly led his men against the Moors. He was the first into battle, and the last to die of his men. It is said that in his last moments, he saw the faces of all who died before him. It is also believed that Roland Royeaux is the man spoken of in the Song."

Harry was awestruck. So THAT was why Cheval could basically do as he wanted in France. He may as well have been an ancient king walking forth amongst men once more. " But this is just legend you say?"

Direhit had no answer. Apparently he didn't know this either, so Ragnok answered, " Of course, none of this is proven. It's all legends of a time where the only men who could read or write were priests, and the most tales were told by the tip of the tongue. Even Goblins were not so advanced or capable of recording such a complex family tree. Even now, our blood magic cannot divine that side of their family."

_Wow, even the Goblins don't know. This must be a killer of a secret. I have often wondered how Cheval was able to do certain things, how he was able to stop Ministry bills he didn't approve without even whipping a galleon out, or why everyone looked on him with awe whenever we walked by when I was in France. But this is insane. What's next? Voldemort is the heir of Caesar?_

Ragnok abruptly changed, " I'm sorry, Lord Potter. But your time here is up. Move along if you have no more business."

" Of course. Good day to you, and may your gold ever flow onward."

After Harry left, Ragnok hissed to Direhit, " That was close. I could feel the magic tugging on my soul."

Direhit muttered, " The only human to ever swindle the Goblins. Of course we know that Angelica Royeaux was Charlemagne's only daughter, she was hidden away because she had magic. But he had the High Goblin King swear on his very soul that only the heirs would reveal that."

Ragnok sighed, " Such was the majesty of Charlemagne, a king of kings in a dark age the likes of which man has never known. The only Wizard King. Such a shame the Church forced him to hide his magical daughter."

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( Cheval)

" _**Of course, Muggles everywhere. They know about the Arc De Triumph don't they? Palace of Versailles? Why do so many of them have to be here on a day like today?"**_ Cheval wondered in his thoughts as he entered the museum. The only witch in the place right now, was the opening guide. She saw him, and gave a small yelp. She scuttled away to go find the Director of the Museum.

The Directory swiftly pulled him aside, " **What do you want, Lord Royeaux?"**

** " Access to the Royal Vault."**

The Director paled. Only certain, _privileged_ people knew about that vault. People that it concerned. " **Messer, may I ask exactly why you wish access to the royal vault?"**

" **My name should be enough. You do know the penalty for defying my wish, correct?"**

The Director huffed, " **Yes, just follow me."**

The Director led Cheval outside, to the large pyramid that sat out in front of the Museum. He announced, " **Would all patrons please vacate the courtyard please? The Museum is undergoing a temporary maintenance, and all patrons will be allowed back in when finished. Thank you for your time." **

Several of the Muggle visitors hissed and shouted their anger, but the guards marshaled them out of the Museum. The Director turned to Cheval, " **Do as you must. Bad for business."**

Cheval glared at the surly Director, but just rolled his eyes. He pulled a knife out of his robes, and slashed his right palm. Finding a small rune written on the pyramid, he placed the bleeding hand on the pyramid. The Director watched in awe as the pyramid began to glow golden, and the roof on it began to open.

A beam of light ran from the top of the pyramid to the base, circling around, making many arcane symbols. The Director watched a small square begin to form beneath the Lord Royeaux. A small latch formed on the ground. Cheval ordered, " **Pull the lever, Director. Then step into the box."**

The Director gave the lever a tug, and stepped into the box. It began to descend underground. After a couple of minutes, they stepped into a large mausoleum. The Director followed Cheval to a large door at the far end. Using the same bleeding hand, Cheval smeared blood on the door, intoning, " **By the Sword and Cross!"**

A sword appeared on the door. Ancient gears not opened for hundreds of years began to turn. With deafening creaks and groans, the ancient door swung open. Behind the doors, sat a golden throne with a cross on its right arm, and a sword on its left. Cheval explained to an awestruck Director, " **Legends tell that Charlemagne hid his blade away, so that only those deemed worthy could attain it."**

The Director answered, " **But we keep the blade Joyeaux upstairs in the main museum."**

** " That is but a replica. The True blade can only be taken by one who has the blood of Charlemagne in his or her veins. It was forged by the Goblins for the only Wizard King in history, as a reward for allowing them to learn to read and write."**

The Director muttered, " **A glimmer in the Dark Ages. Dark times for all of us."**

Cheval walked up to the throne, and placed his bleeding hand on the backrest. A short red glimmer later, and a large case appeared. A longsword, with a large ruby in the cross guard, and a runes running along the blade, was in the case. Cheval placed his bloody hand on the case, which disappeared in flash of light.

He shouted, " ** Director, today is the day that you learn that everything you ever knew about my family is a lie. We were never the Royal Cousins of Louis XVI. We come of a far greater heritage. We, are the heirs of Charlemagne, from his daughter who was hidden away for her magic. This is why we have ever stayed so aloof, so stoic. But now, there is one who demands our full might. And only here, may I claim it."**

Cheval turned to the large statue of a man in the vault. He carried the blade from the case, and grasped it by the blade. He held the pommel to the statue, intoning, " **Charlemagne! Oh Charlemagne! A shaft of light in a dark age! For now he is the King of the Franks standing tall among men. Oh I bring freedom, for he will pay, and all his enemies shall be cast away! Cause he now has inherited the throne!"**

A spirit came forth from the statue. An ancient man, with a beard that would make Dumbledore look young. The man shouted, " **All have learned to fear the name of Charlemagne. Who calls upon His aide?"**

" **Great King! Listen to thine heir, and grant him his audience!"**

** " What makes you worthy to see his Liege?"**

The Director watched the exchange with awe. He had never in all his days imagined that something like this was hidden beneath the Louvre. He knew that the Museum was once a Fortress for the French, but he didn't know such a secret was hidden beneath. The Spirit declared, " **You are worthy. Wait."**

Cheval stayed on bent knee as his great ancestor materialized. The Director caught his breath. He was seeing Charlemagne, and was surprised to see how much the ancient king resembled an actor named Christopher Lee.

"**Rise my son."**

Cheval rose from his knee, and gazed stoically at the spirit, " **Great ancestor. I have come for you to grant me aid."**

** " And what is thy crusade?"**

Cheval answered, " **To avenge the wrongs inflicted upon my daughter by the hands of two Lords of the Darkness. To keep the world from sinking into the darkness."**

** " Thy world is enshrouded in darkness. To bring the light, ye must defeat these warlords. Take the blade. May it bring Joy back into thy world, and may ye know the Peace of God ere the world ends."**

The Spirit began to dissolve. Cheval shouted, " **I am Chevalier Charlemagne Royeaux, son of Etienne Carloman Royeaux, heir of Charlemagne! I claim the right to command the Magical Army of France to battle!"**

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( Delacour Manor)

Apolline sat in quiet thought about her daughters. One was now happily married to Harry Potter, and the other was now single. She sighed, but instantly stiffened when she heard the sounds of something moving beneath the Manor.

She grabbed her wand, and moved down in the manor, to the basement. The surprise she got almost caused her to faint. A large winged creature was trying to break out! It looked like a combination of a Lion and an eagle. Apolline muttered in English, " A Griffin? What is going on here?"

The creature turned upon her, its golden wings spread wide in a threatening gesture. She began to back up, but remembered something about not showing fear to these noble creatures. She walked up, bowed to it, and waited. The Griffin bent its knees slightly, and continued to glare at her with its lion head. She moved behind it, and opened the basement door to the outside. In a rush of wings, it took off.

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( Hogwarts)

" Good evening, Professor Weasley. Nice to see you punctual for once."

Ron glared at the Headmaster, " What do you want, Dumbledore?"

Dumbledore twinkled at Ron, " Now, Mr. Weasley, that is not how you speak to your superior now is it? Don't worry, we have more pressing matters to attend to. I am certain you know that the Weasleys are direct heirs of Gryffindor correct?"

Ron nodded, " Yes, but I also know that Harry Potter holds a higher claim, because he is Heir of the Peverells, who founded the Gryffindor Line."

Dumbledore frowned, " I was aware of that as well. But, you are here and not him. I as Headmaster, can only access certain aspects of Hogwarts' defense systems. But an Heir can control all of them. Being an Heir myself, but also being Headmaster, puts me in a limbo that doesn't grant me a lot of leeway. I need you to activate the Defenses."

Ron was interested, " What are these defenses?"

" Hogwarts is what is called a Wizard's Keep. A place so magical, that one wizard could probably defend it for a thousand years by himself. But to access the true defenses, we need an Heir who has no other responsibilities."

Ron muttered, " I'll do it."

Dumbledore nodded, " Then follow me."

Dumbledore guided Ron to the center of his office. He muttered a reveal Charm, and a giant Hogwarts Crest appeared behind the desk. Ron immediately knew what to do, like he was destined to do it. He shouted, " I, Ronald Bilius Weasley, Heir of Gryffindor, claim rights to this castle! So Mote Be It!"

Ron screamed as his body took in the power of the Castle. It was painful, but he could feel himself grow stronger. Suddenly, a door opened behind the crest. Dumbledore said, " Well done, Mr. Weasley. That room can only be accessed by you. It controls the wards and defenses. Good Luck, I need to get something myself."

Dumbledore smiled as Ron disappeared behind the crest. He walked over to his desk, and pulled out the Elder Wand. He gazed at it lovingly, " I got you all those years ago when I defeated Grindelwald. Now it's time for you to prove your worth."

Dumbledore slipped the Elder Wand into his robes, and walked over to his bookcase. He pulled a fake book, and the case slid away to reveal another room. Above the door hung a large raven with brass claws. Dumbledore smiled as he passed under the dais.

On a large table, surrounded by chalices of flame, sat a chest. It was similar to the chest used for the Goblet of Fire, but only Dumbledore could access. He pulled an ornate key with a raven's head, and pressed it into the chest. The chest began to glow and opened.

Inside of the chest were a pair of gauntlets with razor sharp crescent claws added to the ends. Alongside of them was a long scepter with an ornate raven's head at the top. For eyes, it had sapphires. The beak was brass colored. Dumbledore smiled as he put the gauntlets on and claimed the scepter.

The Razors of Ravenclaw were her Namesake. In a time when most people's surnames came from professions, Rowena's came from her gauntlets. Suffused with what the Dwarves call Lyrium, or Liquid Magic, they inflict heavy damage and can rend flesh with ease. Such a weapon can penetrate the strongest armor, and rip through the best magical protections. Funnily enough, Rowena loved close combat more than her friend and consort, Godric Gryffindor.

The Scepter had its own powers. But most importantly, it allowed the user to "See" without sight. A useful ability for the vigilant Ravenclaw, who used the ability to clairvoyantly spy on her enemies to plot their dooms.

Dumbledore smiled. This fight wasn't going to be the cake walk that he hoped Potter thought it would be. Dumbledore felt the wards go into full power. Ron Weasley had been a poor man's replacement for Harry Potter, because he lacked certain "qualities" that Potter had. Namely, leadership and the ability to control without intending. Dumbledore saw a lot of himself in Potter. People followed him without question, even when he didn't want them to.

Dumbledore sat down in the Headmaster's Chair. This was his throne room, and he would defend it to the last.

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( Dark Lord)

Tom Marvolo Riddle, better known as Lord Voldemort, or the Dark Lord, sat on his throne in Nurmengard. Like Dumbledore, Voldemort had some political and diplomatic red tape protecting him from his most immediate threats, which were based primarily in Britain. Even those in France faced significant political and diplomatic ramifications if they were to attack him in Germany.

Tom had a chest hidden deep in Nurmengard. In that chest, were two items. One was a chicken's egg. The other was a book on Necromancy, called the Necronomicon. With it, Tom could call upon all forms of undead, from Liches to Wraiths, to Inferii and Daemons. Voldemort was already populating his lair with these undead, many of which had special immunities to magic.

Tom cackled as he placed the chicken's egg under a toad, and waited. Ten minutes later, a small snake hatched from the egg, with bright green eyes. Tom smiled. A basilisk was born. Tom retrieved he Necronomicon, and began to enchant the snake. Normally, a basilisk would be practically immune to magic, but not to the necromantic magics that Tom was employing. Tom watched as the evil snake writhed in pain as the powers of death took it over. A Basilisk is the King of Snakes. It fears nothing. But, it was becoming something far different. Something far worse. A Daemonic Wyrm was born. With the Daemonic additions, the snake would grow to its max size in less than a month. With Nagini dead from his Soul Recalling, Tom needed a new familiar.

Tom hissed his command out to the snake. It immediately sprang into action, attacking the muggle he had captured for this purpose with its spraying acidic venom. Tom began to cackle as he watched the corrosive venom seep through the Silverite shackles, supposedly immune to corrosion….

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( Grimmauld Place)

Lenore woke up after what seemed like weeks, in a place she didn't recognize. She looked around, and reached for the nearest item to defend herself, a butcher's knife that Sirius had carelessly left out on the cutter's board because he was cutting steaks for dinner. Sirius walked into the room, and saw the woman standing in the corner. He had just enough time to dodge the thrown knife. He muttered, " **Lenore? When did you wake up?"**

** " Just a few moments ago. You're Lord Black aren't you? Harry's Godfather."**

Sirius chuckled, " **Why yes I am. Well, you're finally awake, so I going to go find your brother, and bring him here. Ever since Snake found you, both he and your father have been worried about you. Do you know what type of potion they fed you before you left?"**

** " No."**

Sirius hesitated, but settled on just leaving. He shouted at Guillaume, who was sitting in the Foyer, " **Guillaume! Lenore is awake!"**

An apprehensive Guillaume walked into the kitchen. He asked, " **Lenore? Is that really you?"**

**" Yes, brother! Why wouldn't it be?"**

Guillaume practically sprinted across the room, and pulled his younger sister into a hug. Lenore muttered, " **What's wrong, Guillaume?"**

** " We all thought you were dead! Father went berserk and blew up half the Quidditch stadium! Now, everyone's on warpath with this British wizard, Dumbledore, and we just haven't had a lot of time."**

Lenore patted her sobbing brother on the head, " **Don't worry, brother. I'm back, though I don't know why. I remember being force fed some potions, and falling asleep. I woke up here. "**

** " Lenore, what happened to you? How did they capture you?"**

Lenore frowned, trying to ignore Sirius listening in, " **I don't know. I remember reaching up to hug Danielle after Harry caught the Snitch, and that's all. But I can tell you this. I don't know much about this Dumbledore who's supposedly responsible, but he isn't the real enemy right now! Voldemort is. He's the one who held me captive. They tried to get me to join the Death Eaters, but I wouldn't."**

Sirius cut in, " **Unfortunately, everyone is focusing on Dumbledore. Cheval is in France right now. He didn't tell me exactly what he was doing, but he said something about claiming the real heritage."**

Lenore's eyes went wide. She hissed, " No! Father can't ! He can't reveal us as ze heirs of Charlemagne! It would draw so much attention!"

Guillaume put his hand on his sister's shoulder, " Don't worry, sister. Father knows what he is doing."

" I should 'ope so."

( Potter Fortress)

Harry was still getting used to the weight of his new sword. Gryffindor had been a warrior at heart, and his sword was roughly a hand and a half blade. It was light enough to be used with one hand, but the pommel was long enough to incorporate a second hand for more power. Harry couldn't help but feel that there was some secret to the blade though. The ruby in the very bottom of the pommel had a small slot, like someone was supposed to insert their wand into it, but Harry didn't know if that was what he was supposed to do.

Harry's thoughts were interrupted when a Dwarf walked into his study. The dwarf had loose, blonde hair. He had amber colored eyes, and wore a red, wine colored jerkin. He carried an automatic crossbow on his back that he fondly called Bianca. " What can I do for you Lord Potter?"

Harry smiled, " Good Evening, Merchant King Varrac. Nice of you to ask. I would like to make use of that Dwarven army you have stationed at my fortress."

The Dwarf smiled back, " Of course, Lord Potter. You fed my clan for the last five years, better than my good for nothing, backstabbing brother ever did. The least we can do. I do hope you know that most of us are Non-Combat specialists right?"

Harry frowned slightly, remembering that most Dwarves were engineers or archers, " Naturally. We need to break through Hogwarts' wards."

Varrac pulled a small shard of a blue stone, " You know what this is, Lord Potter?"

Harry shook his head, so the dwarf continued, " This is what we Dwarves call Lyrium. You humans call it Liquid magic. All of our weapons are coated in this stuff. The nice thing, is that we Dwarves have a natural resistance to magic, so we can weather a magic storm. You wizards better be damned happy that we never go to war like our delusional, and far less handsome, cousins the Goblins."

Harry looked at the blue shard apprehensively, " And what is so important about this shard?"

Varrac chuckled, " Well, you can just lob this at something with a lot of magic, and watch the fireworks. This, my friend, is a magic bomb. Our catapults use shards like this, only larger. Much large. With each shot, they drain the total magic in an area, say, a protective ward. We bombard the area, and eventually, the wards will break because of the power of these absorption shards."

Harry ran his hand across where his beard was beginning to grow, " This sounds like it would work excellently on Hogwarts."

Varrac laughed, " Ah, but Lord Potter. Hogwarts has many more defenses than just its wards. I'm sure you know that Ronald Weasley is an Heir of Gryffindor, so he can command the defenses."

" Yeah, but Dumbledore is an Heir of Ravenclaw, why would he need Ron?"

Varrac chuckled, " Because he's Headmaster. The job isn't meant to give the Headmaster complete power, so a few obstacles, if only rudimentary and easy to fool, were placed by the Founders.

Harry laughed darkly, " Well, you can use the Prophet to check for when we move out. I think the next three issues are going to have a big story in them."

Harry was right. The Next day's Daily Prophet headline screamed: **Magical Britain Fractured! Sirius Black now Minister of Magical England, Amelia Bones now minister of Magical Scotland, and Alastor Moody now Minister of Magical Wales****!"**

The headline the next day was: " **Magical France Declares War on Magical Scotland! Chevalier Royeaux leads the Aurors of France to battle! Magical England and Wales allied****!"**

The Stage was set for the War of Thrones to begin. Now, who would fall first?

A/N: Next Chapter is the Siege of Hogwarts. Hopefully, I explained how the Royeauxs actually are cousins of Louis the XVI, but also the descendants of Charlemagne. Should explain why everyone reveres them so in France. Frankish Empire.

Big Information Section:

**The Thrones:** The Thrones are a figurative symbol recognizing the Factions of the War. Harry and Sirius holding the Black and Potter Thrones. Cheval Royeaux with the French Throne. Dumbledore with the Hogwarts Throne. And Voldemort with the Dark Throne.

**The Louvre and the Sword Joyeaux:** Believe it or not, I didn't make anything about the sword Joyeaux or the Louvre housing the sword up. Well, I made up what the sword looks like, and the Royal Vault under the Pyramid, but that's about it. The Museum does ACTUALLY have the sword. Learned that on Jeopardy during the College Championships.

**Charlemagne looks like Christopher Lee:** Some random trivia here. I modeled the appearance after Christopher Lee, because Christopher Lee ( Famous for playing Saruman, Lord Summersisle, Franciso Sacramanga, and Count Dooku) is descended from the Carradini's, an Italian family that was granted the right to bear the Coat of Arms of the Holy Roman Empire. ( See Christopher Lee's Wikipedia Page for more).

**Speaking of Lee:** No, that quote up at the top of this chapter is not from a Play or Screen writing by Lee. It is from a Song, that Lee himself sung in a Symphonic Orchestral Metal Band called Charlemagne. That's right folks, Saruman sings metal, and has been a guest for several bands including Manowar and Rhapsody of Fire.


	10. Chapter 9 The Siege of Hogwarts

Chapter 9 The War Of Thrones Part I: Siege of Hogwarts

Review responses, Albaholly: You know, I like someone who actually continues to respond to these. Good points, but it was a scene I felt obligated to include in the story, because it was one of the starting scenes when I first came up with the idea for this story. Suffice to say, the idea for this story has changed a lot. It was once called " Rise of the Oppressed." Logical Fallacies aside, I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

My bad: For a guy who prides himself for his knowledge of Arcane, Mythological and otherwise Magical creatures, I made a mistake with the Gryffin. Head of an Eagle, not a lion. Oops.

Finally: I split the actual Battle of Hogwarts into two chapters. The Siege, which is this one, and the Battle, which is the next chapter.

Harry smiled over his best day ever. All of his girls, even Hermione and Ginny, had decided to give him a hell of a sending off. He fondly remembered Sirius talking about a sixsome that he had had one time while he was young, so now Harry could brag to Sirius about having one too.

But the creaking of ballistae brought his thoughts back to the unpleasantness that was going to be the war. Harry was walking amongst over a thousand Dwarves, all coming along with Varrac. Most of them were Engineers and Sappers, running the Siege engines. Harry felt the magic just rolling off weaponry. It was almost making him sick. Varrac said that was the intention. Humans couldn't handle such high concentrations of magic.

The rendezvous point was just outside of Hogsmeade. There, Sirius would have gathered all the English Aurors to bring battle to Hogwarts. Harry's progress was naturally the slowest. Dwarves couldn't travel by magic, and their weaponry made traversing the harsh Scottish Highlands, in the middle of WINTER, extremely taxing to say it best. Luckily, Varrac, for all his wise cracks and his large crossbow, was somewhat of a logistics master. Definitely a claim to fame that Harry would NEVER have.

A Dwarven commander, named Bhelen, shouted, " Lord Potter! We have a visual on Point Alpha!"

It took Harry a moment to figure out what the dwarf was talking about. Dwarves loved battle code, so they always referred to their destinations by code. Harry shouted back, " How far?"

" Five clicks at best! We see a host already there!"

_That must be Sirius and Cheval. Boy, Cheval is bringing everything but the kitchen sink. Is that a Griffin?_ Harry thought as they approached Hogsmeade. Sure enough, there was a large winged creature that looked like a cross between an Eagle and a lion. Sirius was the first to greet them, " Damn Harry! You didn't say there would be this many! There's over a thousand here!"

Varrac chuckled, " That's not even including our not so living friends."

Sirius looked worried, but Varrac pointed to the army of almost three hundred Golems that were being controlled by a dedicated Control Squad. He explained, " Dwarves are craftsmen, not warriors like our cousins the Goblins. So we build things to fight for us."

Sirius nodded with a smug look. Harry turned to the regal looking Cheval, who was wearing his best robes, " **What is the plan?"**

Cheval smiled, " **Well, we need to breach the wards. It appears that Dumblydore has initiated a Total Lockdown. This means the wards are virtually impenetrable."**

Varrac cracked, " Leave that to us, Frenchie. We can bring those wards down by the end of the day at the longest."

Cheval bristled at being called Frenchie, but with a quick glance at Harry, who shook his head, he let it slide. Guillaume walked up, carrying his rapier in one hand, his wand in the other, " 'Arry! Nice to see you've finally arrived! My sister 'as been worried you 'ad been ambushed or something."

Harry was surprised, " Lenore is here?"

" Yes, she wouldn't be dissuaded. She said she wishes to witness ze battle."

Varrac busted in, " Oh Harry! I thought you already had three wives. Trying to add another?"

Harry frowned as Guillaume laughed, " Damn it, Varrac. I have three wives and two female servants. As of right now, I don't need another!"

Varrac muttered, " Whatever you say Harry. But I think this will make a good barroom story here."

Harry rolled his eyes, before turning to Sirius, who was about to engage his mouth, " Don't even start!"

Sirius closed his mouth, looking disappointed, but then Varrac pulled out some little ear bug. He passed one to each of the leaders, " This is a Communications Link. I got the idea from Star Wars, and yes, we Dwarves do watch movies. Put it in your ear, and then just press your hand against it. Think about who you want to talk to, and then speak. That's all there is to it!"

Varrac made it sound simple, but it really wasn't, so they spent a little bit practicing. In the end, they could all still hear Cheval, but Sirius and Harry had gotten pretty adept at it. Varrac stood up in front of the Dwarven army.

" Brothers! We have come here today at the behest of our good patron, Lord Harry James Potter! Now, are we ready to repay his graciousness?"

A loud roar of YES! Rose from the Dwarves. Varrac smiled, " That's all I need. We ready to rock?"

Harry nodded, and the armies departed. Cheval had brought roughly five hundred Aurors with him. In all technicalities, France had a lower Wizard density than the UK did, but also had a slightly higher Immigration rate. Thus, there were more wizards and witches in France than in the UK. Cheval also had a contingent of Veela, led by Apolline Delacour.

Sirius had all the English/British Aurors he could scrap up. One short sight of his plan had been that his Aurors would revert their duty to whichever region they were from, and not remain loyal. He also hadn't known that some of the Aurors had grown bitter over the years of reduced pay, and had defected.

In reality, Harry's army was the strongest in both numbers and fighters. Each Golem was worth at least fifty human warriors, and the Siege weapons would inflict their own damage as well. Granted, most dwarves were engineers and strategists, there were still some who saw the frontlines, like Varrac.

Varrac held his hand up. The engineers began to load the first Magic Sappers. Each shot would drain roughly one thousandth of the energy used to fuel the wards. It would be a heck of a long barrage.

Harry shouted, " Get the shields ready!"

The Dwarves began to ready magic shield apparatus. Marvels of Dwarven technology, these shield projectors were the keystone to any Dwarven war. Capable of blocking even the most powerful spells, they created a shield that would tax any general's ability to circumvent. But they were hard to move, took awhile to set up, and didn't block flesh.

Harry chuckled as the blue shields went up.

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( Hogwarts)

Dumbledore was shocked to see Dwarves on the battlefield. What Harry had promised or paid them, he didn't know. But he would take them all down anyway! He shouted, " Mr. Weasley! Prepare an Arcane Barrage!"

A lesser known property of the Tallest Tower in Hogwarts, was that it was a Wizard's Tower, capable of launching large blasts of magical lightning over long distances. It was thought that the one in Hogwarts could reach London.

McGonagall shouted, " Albus! Do you think we can hold them? They outnumber us, and what are those monstrosities they have with them?"

McGonagall was referring to the Golems that were driving most of the siege engines. Dumbledore answered back, " Dwarven Golems!"

" G-G-Golems? I didn't think Dwarves could use magic!"

Dumbledore explained, " They can't! These golems are animated from the stone itself, or other less savory practices. It is thought that the Dwarves have streamlined and changed the process, but it used to involve sacrificing a dwarf!"

McGonagall was disgusted, " Albus! That's monstrous! How can they be allowed to do such a thing?"

" The Ministry has never controlled the Dwarves, they have always followed a Merchant King, that being a particularly skilled merchant. They don't worship Gods or Goddesses. They worship only their ancestors, those called Paragons. The Merchant King Varrac is hailed as a Paragon already for his actions, despite being a Surface Dwarf."

McGonagall was confused, " Albus, that doesn't make sense!"

Dumbledore frowned, " It is unimportant, but Dwarves have a very complex, Caste oriented culture. Though the Castes have been lightened, it is still almost impossible to advance in Dwarven Society. But the side effect, is their incredible weaponry. Watch Minerva, as we prepare to witness the fabled Sky of Flame, such that it has not been seen since the dwarves defeated the humans in the Ural Mountains."

A loud horn sounded from outside. The deep sound reverberated through the castle, an echo that refused to die. The sound, like a herd of a thousand rampaging elephants, crushed the morale and hopes of the Defenders. Even Dumbledore was disquieted by the sound. Then came the sound of strings being loosed and gears creaking into action.

Fiery orbs filled the sky in the distance. Dumbledore knew the wards would hold, but for how long was anyone's guess. Explosions rocked the castle as the blazing stones of lyrium bombs wrapped in pitch soaked cloth slammed into the wards. Many of the students panicked. Some screamed in the Great Hall.

Dumbledore turned to his student commanders and High Captains. His High Captains were made mostly of students who had stayed after their time in Hogwarts had ended, so they were headed by the likes of Neville Longbottom and Dean Thomas. Dumbledore ordered, " Begin getting the troops into position around the gate. We can't let them in."

Dumbledore turned back to the windows as more bombs exploded against the wards. McGonagall muttered, " I never thought I would see the day when Hogwarts would be besieged by Dwarves in mine or my children's lifetimes."

Dumbledore nodded, " I knew I should have kept a better eye on Harry. My mistakes have cost us much, but if we are to go down. Then we will go out in a blaze of glory!"

McGonagall shifted her wand, " I hope so Albus."

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( Harry)

Harry stood alongside of Sirius watching the bombardment, when Sirius brought up a good point. " Harry? Why don't we use the passages from Hogsmeade into Hogwarts to sneak in? We could get troops in without them noticing."

Varrac answered, " Because, dumbass, the wards are still down there. Anyway, there is little tactical advantage in attacking from those passages. Go through those, and the enemy is waiting to pick you off one at a time. Besides, it should only take twelve more volleys to break the wards by my calculations."

Harry laughed darkly. Just then, a massive bolt of lightning struck the shields. An engineer was zapped by energy runoff, and taken to be treated. Dwarf Lord Delmi shouted, " What the hell was that?"

Harry sighed, " Looks like Dumbledore and his brood have some surprises for us. We need to breach those wards as quickly as possible."

Varrac muttered as an aside, " And we still have to breach the walls after that."

The bombardment continued. Fire began to catch all around the base of the south wards. The fire quickly began to spread towards the Forbidden Forest. Soon, the Hogwarts Grounds were ablaze with fire.

At exactly twelve bombardments later, the wards fell. Everyone knew it and felt it. It was like a giant wall of glass was just shattered by a cannon ball. Varrac shouted, " Forward!"

That moment, the Battle of Hogwarts began in earnest. The Siege was over, but the battle was only just beginning.

Less than thirty seconds after the shields went down, the Activated defenses of Hogwarts began to attack. Volleys of fireballs flew at the amassed army. The Wizards in the force were taxed with their temporary shields, trying to divert the falling boulders. Lightning rained down around them, destroying siege engines, slaying dwarves and men alike. Harry felt the hair on his neck stand up in enough time to raise his duelist's shield and cast a Protego to stave off a lightning bolt aimed at him. Varrac shouted, " What is this madness?"

Harry shouted back, as more blasts erupted around them, and fissures ripped through the earth, " Hogwarts has defenses that can be activated by an heir for its defense! We need to hurry!"

Varrac nodded. He bellowed, " DOUBLE TIME IT FELLAS!"

The dwarves broke into a run. Harry was amazed at how fast they were running, outstripping him in a sprint. Blasts continued to rain down around them. Harry watched several dwarf engineers explode in a blast of gore from a lightning bolt. Several of Cheval's Veela were cut down by the razor sharp thorns on the vines that were raising out of the ground to attack them.

Finally, Varrac ordered, " Get those shields up!"

The ballistae began to fire their bolts into the Hogwarts Towers. Harry watched as his old home, the Gryffindor Tower, collapsed to the explosive barrage aimed at its base. He could vaguely hear screaming. He wondered how many students were in there, and felt guilty. Varrac was heading up the squad of Sappers that were carrying the charges to the front gate that separated them from the main castle. He saw Varrac place a few charges, run back, and press a small button.

The ground shook, and Harry fell to his knees to the magnitude of the blast. He clasped his hands over his ears over the sound, and when he removed them, there was blood on his left hand. Rubble rained down around them as the shields went up, covering their advance.

Harry deftly avoided a large stone, and turned to Varrac, who had made his way back, " How much longer?"

" Not much longer! We just need to get to the entrance to the castle, we plant the charges, and BOOM! I hope you don't mind us blowing the castle right?"

Harry shouted, " Castles can be replaced!"

Varrac smiled, and shouted at his Sappers to get more charges ready. The advance was beginning.

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( Dumbledore)

Dumbledore couldn't believe that the wards had failed! They had been destroyed by the accursed technology of the Dwarves! Minerva was standing stock still in shock as well. Hogwarts was supposed to be the ultimate defense! But it was being breached by these weapons! Dumbledore went into motion, " Longbottom! Get the troops ready for battle in the Entrance Hall! This gets personal!"

Neville saluted, " Of course sir!"

Dumbledore began to move all of his troops to the Entrance. He arranged it so that his best were in the front. He pointed his wand and scepter at the wooden door, " No matter what comes through that gate, you will STAND and FIGHT! "

Several shouted, " Aye!"

" I don't care who or what it is, you will stand, and you will fight! Show no fear! Give no mercy, for you can expect none in return!"

Several tense moments of silence began to settle on the battlefield as the suits of armor began to join the assembled forces. Then it came. A brilliant flash of light, blazing heat, and deafening sounds filled the Entrance hall as the Gate exploded into thousands of lethal shards of wood. The walls crumbled around them, and stone was flung high into the air. Then it ended. Dumbledore opened his eyes, wondering what was going to come next.

What he saw made his eyes go wide in fear. Three giant, flaming golems came rushing through the breach, supported by a large squad of Wizards and Crossbow armed Dwarves. Dumbledore shouted, " Attack!"

His first wave never even faced the Golems. They fell to a hail of crossbow bolts from the Dwarves and Avada Kedavras from the wizards. One of the golems picked up a giant piece of the masonry of the castle, and hurled it at the Great Staircase. Ten Student Soldiers, some younger than Fourth year, were crushed by the flaming piece of rubble. One of the dwarves cracked, " Someone just ordered up a large helping of ass kicking! Attack boys!"

The Battle of Hogwarts had begun. Who would win was anyone's guess, but right now, the Black side was winning.

A/N: Next Chapter: Falling of a Throne.

Information

Dragon Age: I admit, I take a lot of things from the Dragon Age system. To me, the Dragon Age Origins system is how magic is supposed to be done. Still have spell names, but mages can use swords, or they can fall out and support, or they can even use illegal magic to take control of enemies using their magic. I do my best to try and keep the wisecracking Varrac ( actually spelled Varric) in character while allowing his use in this rather serious story. Alternate modifications include changing the Dwarves so they are mostly engineers or strategists rather than warriors. I also modified it so that Dwarves have an alternate method of creating Golems, outside of the….eh…method used in the game.


	11. Chapter 10 The Fall of Hogwarts

Chapter 10 The War of Thrones 3 The Fall of Hogwarts

A/N: Long update time, but battle scenes aren't my specialty and they really slow down my writing.

I've begun to edit some of my older chapters, especially the Wedding scene.

Cheval VS Dumbledore: All Spells used in this duel are silent.

" _The rain shall turn to a pane of glass, and roll away. And then you see it! White Shores!" _Gandalf, Lord of the Rings, Return of the King.

" _A man must not live under the same sky as one who has injured his Lord or Father." _Article 51 of the Constitution of the Warrior by Tokugawa Iesayu.

Harry blasted his way into the Great Hall, followed by a phalanx of Dwarf engineers. Stunned Ex-Student Soldiers immediately blasted a combination of Stunners and Knockback spells against him. Harry rolled aside, and shot a series of his own Stunners at the crowd. He shouted at the Dwarves, " Get these students out of here! Don't hurt them!"

Of course, Harry had no idea the massacre that Varrac had started in the Entrance Hall, though he was about to find out. Harry approached the Doors of the Great Hall, and immediately noticed the heat radiating off. He pressed his gauntleted left hand against the door, and pulled it back, wincing. It was blazing hot. There must be a fire in the Entrance Hall!

Harry readied his Blood wand to blast the doors, when that was taken care of for him. He gasped as the doors blasted open, sending him careening onto the Slytherin Table. A flaming golem lay in the remains of the door, with a giant raising a large battle axe over it. Grawp!

The Half-Brother of Hagrid slammed his axe down, cleaving through the stone with brutal force. He shouted, " HAGGER! TO BATTLE!"

Harry gritted his teeth, scrambling to rise from the table as his oldest Wizarding world friend raised a large crossbow. It wasn't the crossbow itself that scared Harry. It was the Arrow. It was tipped with what looked like an explosive potion.

Harry scrambled to move out of the way as he heard the twang of the crossbow. Leaping into the breach, he covered his head with his Gauntlet shield to cover himself from the acidic poison. He heard the acid hissing as it ate into the stone. He thanked whatever God there was, and he turned over, leaping up.

Hagrid shouted, " 'Arry? Wha' are ya doin out here in this?"

Harry's jaw dropped, " Hagrid! You don't know?"

" Kno' what?"

Harry almost couldn't bring himself to tell him, " I'm the enemy commander."

Hagrid's beady eyes swam for a moment, " Then, then I have to take you out?"

" Unless you want to betray Dumbledore, Hagrid, then yes you do. Or I will take you out. One of the two."

Hagrid lowered the crossbow, and held up a hand for his brother to stop, " Harry, ya know I can' do that. Dumbledore's a great man. Ya never shoulda questioned him. He's done so much for me."

Harry shouted, " If I hadn't questioned him I would be rotting in a cell in Azkaban! I don't know if he ever told you, but he was the reason why I was even arrested period! If I hadn't escaped, God, Merlin, Odin, whoever only knows what would have happened!"

Hagrid raised his crossbow, " I'm sorry ya feel that way, Harry. But even if you ain't. I'm Dumbledore's man through an' through."

It was here that Harry noticed that Hagrid was wearing battle armor. A lot of it. In fact, he wondered where in the hell he had found it. So was Grawp. This was trouble. There were enough enchantments on the armor to probably kill him for getting too close. No way any of his spells would break through that.

Another hole in the walls as blasted open. More Dwarven Sappers poured in, eager to blow holes in the resistance. Hagrid growled, and pulled out with his brother. Harry sighed in relief. Both he and Hagrid were apparently not eager for their inevitable confrontation.

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( Dumbledore)

Dumbledore cursed as he fired a series of Cutters from the Elder Wand, at least halting a series of advancing Legion troops. A Cutter from the most powerful wand in existence barely cut through the outer layer of these shock troopers. He sent a prayer to whatever God there is that most of the Dwarf force were NC troops. Minerva shouted, " We can't hold them Albus! There's just too many of them!"

Hagrid had taken care of the three Lava Golems, but the Dwarf Archers knew better than let the half giant and his brother close, so they lay down pikes to solidify their lines. Some siege engines were now placed in the Entrance Hall. Large ballistae were pointed at the Great Staircase and firing indiscriminately. Dumbledore could barely hold his lines together, his leadership was failing.

He couldn't move like he used to, but Dumbledore was still good enough to dodge large boulders flung at him by stone golems. He pointed the Elder Wand at the Golem, shouting, " Fragere Saxo!"

A small beam of light flew out of the Death Wand, and struck the Golem right in the powering crystal. It shattered in a light show of shimmering crystals, and the golem fell lifelessly. Dumbledore enjoyed a slight glimmer of triumph. He redirected a flurry of crossbow bolts back at the Dwarven firers. But then, he got bad news.

Sinistra shouted, " Albus! We've been breached! They are coming down from the second floor! They fly a Sword and Cross!"

Dumbledore sighed. That would be Chevalier. He was coming, and Dumbledore knew it. Now, it was time to pull back. Dumbledore turned back, " Fall Back! To the third Floor!"

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( Varrac)

Varrac was disheartened when he heard Dumbledore order the retreat. Bad news, because the narrow corridors of the Third floor would favor the defenders. Rather than face an onslaught of golems, they would face one or two at a time. Plus, they couldn't get the siege engines up the stairs either. Not good.

Varrac shouted, " Forward my fine fellows! We march onward!"

Varrac got a shot off at the retreating giant, Grawp, but missed. He cursed, but headed the resolute Dwarven advance up the stairs. Thus began his first encounter with the confounding Hogwarts staircases. Some stairs went somewhere else on Fridays, some were fake, others just took you to the same floor you were already on. After thirty minutes, Varrac shouted, " Damn these fucking stairs! Why can't we go to the Third Floor?"

Harry came walking up, " Because there isn't a staircase that goes to the Third Floor. You have to use a passageway."

Varrac frowned, " Exactly what I didn't want to hear. Lead the way, Lord Potter."

Harry sighed. He motioned for the Dwarven host to follow him. A few moments later, he found a decent sized passage to take them to the Third Floor. Harry whispered to the dwarves, " We need to reach the Headmaster's Office on the Fifth Floor. It will be guarded by a Gargoyle. Just blast it open. Now, to the Third Floor."

No sooner did they enter the passage did they come under fire from the enemy. The passage was wide enough to allow three dwarves to walk abreast. Harry raised his gauntlet shield, and poured power into it. It was exhausting, but he was able to conjure a shield large enough to cover the advancing host.

He heard a familiar voice shout out, " Keep it up! Wear them down!"

He shouted back, " Bring it on Neville! Let's see if you are more than a Squib or not!"

Chuckling at the sound of rage, Harry fired a Stunner off, hitting the first person in the line. Varrac shouted, " Let's melt some plastic boys!"

He aimed down his sights, and fired an explosive arrow down the hall. Harry heard more bows twang as more bolts were released, driving the defenders from the corridor. Then they got surprised.

A howl got their attention. Then Harry remembered where they were. The Third Floor was where Hagrid kept Fluffy! The massive Cerberus bounded towards them, tossing dwarves and men alike aside. Harry drew Godric's sword, knowing that magic wouldn't do much against this beast. He watched as one of the heads picked up a stray engineer, and swallowed him whole.

Harry strode forward, noticing that his shield had now become tangible. He banged Godric's blade against it in a taunt, drawing the beasts attention. A snarl later, and Harry was dancing on his toes trying to avoid the charge. He sidestepped the massive beast, and swung at its colossal leg. Surprisingly, the blade cut easily through the tough hide of the Cerberus. Black blood sizzled and crackled as it ate into the stone. The dog turned about, slipping on the blood soaked stone.

Harry grinned as the dog charged again. He leapt against the corridor wall, slashing at the left foreleg. He met little resistance as the momentum of his blade and the animal's charge tore through the tendons of its leg. Harry watched Fluffy collapse in a heap, unable to stand, but still deadly. He walked forth with purpose. He stared the beast down as he approached, staying out of range of the three heads. Varrac shouted from further back as he ticked away at the enemy lines, " That's another one for me! How many you got Harry?"

Harry smirked, and charged the wounded beast. He sidestepped the left head, and leapt on top of it. He slide onto Fluffy's back, and stabbed downward in a killing thrust. All three heads slumped to the floor lifelessly. Harry turned back to a shell-shocked Varrac, who replied, " That only counts as one!"

Harry laughed, " Sure it does. But we have more important things to worry about."

Varrac chuckled, " Oh, you mean the plastic? Let's get back to melting it shall we?"

Together, they turned towards the Hogwarts Defense that was standing at the top of the stairs.

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( Dumbledore)

Dumbledore hissed in frustration. He couldn't believe that Potter and his men were tossing his aside like bouncy balls! Minerva voiced her frustrations, " Where in the world did Potter get those troops from? They have us occupied on all sides, and we can't get do anything!"

Dumbledore replied, " We should have prepared better, but I admit, we could not have known that Harry would have these types of resources at his command."

Ron cursed, " Damn them all. This could have been avoided you know?"

Dumbledore glared at Ron, " Mr. Weasley, we've been over this a dozen times. I don't regret anything. We need to get a plan going here-"

Dumbledore was cut off by his gargoyle being blasted apart. Dumbledore turned around quickly, and found Aurors greeting him in his own office, apparently having used the fallen wards to Apparate in. He found himself face to face with Sirius Black, with both his wands pinned to his side, and four pointed at him. Sirius laughed, " Well, well, well. What do we have here?"

Mad Eye Moody growled out, " Looks like Old Greg and his mistress, Old Minnie."

Dumbledore bristled, " Listen here, you. This isn't your fight."

Moony shouted, " You know what? You're right, it isn't our fight. But the man it does belong to is here with us. May we introduce a Chevalier Royeaux? He's been lusting for your blood for awhile now."

Ron paled as Cheval walked into the room from the ruins of the Gargoyle. Cheval muttered, " 'Ello, Dumblydore. We meet again."

Dumbledore hissed, " Chevalier."

Cheval starred down the man that was the Leader of the Light with a sneer, " Zis is 'ow you greet us, Dumblydor? Zis is a shame."

Dumbledore growled in fury as Cheval walked over to his desk, and grabbed a handful of Lemon Drops, and cast about ten of them into his mouth. He sucked for a moment, before spitting them out, " Not sour enough."

He turned back to Dumbledore, " So, are we going to get on with zis, or what?"

Dumbledore hissed, " Very well. I, Albus Wulfric Brian Percival Dumbledore accept Chevalier Charlemagne Royeaux's challenge for a Duel to the death over the murder of his daughter, Lenore Constance Royeaux. So mote Be it."

Cheval chuckled, " You forgot ze Single Combat Part. I will not be 'aving your fools interrupting us."

Dumbledore rolled his eyes, " I agree to single combat, So Mote Be it."

Sirius cheered, " Well, now that that's done, let us move to the Great Hall shall we?"

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( Dark Lord)

" So Potter has attacked Dumbledore then."

Augustus Rockwood bowed before the Dark Lord, " Yes, milord. All reports indicate that he is winning decisively. He is using the Dwarves as effective support."

Voldemort crossed his hands, twiddling his yew wand, " Good. Initiate Plan 66."

Rockwood bowed, " Of course, Milord. I will alert Macnair and Jugson to begin the attack."

Voldemort dismissed the Death Eater, and turned to Peter, " Has the potion window closed?"

" Unfortunately, it has. It will be problematic at best to give her another dose. I believe I warned you that this might happen if you undertook your….endeavors…."

Voldemort reached down, and began to stroke his Death Wyrm, " It was necessary, Wormtail. For now, we will have to focus on bringing more magical beasts under our command. I know you find the processes unsavory, even for your tastes. I admit, some of them even disgust me. But they are necessary. Rebastian has already been transformed. We will need a King for them shortly."

Peter grinned maniacally, " Who shall be our great King then?"

Voldemort pointed at the preserved corpse of Gellert Grindelwald that hung from the rafter to be a reminder to his followers, " My predecessor shall return to the Unlife to lead my Undead to battle. Alas, these necromantic processes are taxing. In this body and in this fragmented form, my soul is not powerful enough to sustain the rituals needed. We will need to find a True Necromancer."

Fenrir Greyback commented, " I have heard of an American who has learned the arts of Necromancy. He is supposedly so versed in the arts of magic, that he can induce himself with the Werewolf Curse and then cure himself. He is supposedly a Dark Lord of high reckoning there. Name of Travis Lee."

Voldemort pursed his lips, " How common."

Fenrir argued, " He's the only necromancer I know of. And I can guarantee that no one else here has any idea of where to find another one."

Peter spoke up, " Maybe Xeno Lovegood. He's always been too quirky for his own good."

Fenrir sneered, " Don't insult our intelligence Peter. Lovegood has been a Dumbledore supporter for too long to be a Dark practitioner. Even if his daughter isn't his."

Voldemort sided with Fenrir, " Unfortunately, it is impossible to refute that. Better ideas?"

Peter decided to speak again, " If I may suggest that we add human allies? We have coin. Mercenaries wouldn't be too hard to procure. I've often heard that many Magical Japanese are willing to hire themselves out. They don't respect their Minister much. Apparently, she insults their traditional honor."

Voldemort laughed, " Now, THAT is a good suggestion. Put us in contact with these Mercenaries. Bring them to our force. Fenrir! Contact this necromancer you have base with. Bring him under our banner by whatever means necessary."

Fenrir bowed, " Of course milord."

Peter pointed his finger at the Dark Lord, " You will have your mercenaries!"

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( Harry)

Harry and Varrac cornered the last of the enemy forces at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Neville, Dean Thomas, Lavender Brown, both Patil twins. Just a few of his former classmates that were among those who were cornered. Harry shouted, " The day is ours! This is a victory that all who hear of it shall sing of its praise! But we must now deal with those who remain."

Neville shouted back, " Potter! What happened to you? Did going to France change you so much that you would slaughter your old friends?"

Harry jeered, " When I left Britain, I didn't have any friends as far as I was concerned. Outside of the Black order that is."

Varrac cranked his crossbow, " Can we get on with this? I have a bar tab I need to run up. Plus, Madame Rosmerta has taken a liking to me."

Harry hissed, " Quiet Varrac! I don't need your help in this matter."

The Dwarf hissed his slight anger at that remark, but Harry ignored him. Instead, he turned back to the remnants of Dumbledore's Army, " Why are you all still fighting? Most of you graduated a few years ago. Some of you, like Alicia and Angelina, longer than that. Why are you here?"

Neville hissed, " We would ask the same of you, Potter."

Harry yelled, " QUIET! I'm asking the questions here, not you. So, answer me. Why are so many of you here to fight me?"

The answers varied. Neville was there, because he was Dumbledore's new Golden Boy. Apparently, some Prophecy said that either he or Harry had to defeat Voldemort. So after Harry had been jacked off to House Arrest, and later France, Neville took Harry's spot as the Heir Apparent of the Light.

Most of the Gryffindors there were there because of their fanatical devotion to Dumbledore. A few Slytherins had been promised rewards, and most of the Hufflepuffs were there because they felt it was the right cause. Some Ravenclaws, like Cho, were here because they figured that Dumbledore had been in worse situations, and would be able to guide them out of it. Any current students were there because of a proviso in the Charter that stated that the Headmaster could conscript students of certain ages to certain tasks in time of war.

Harry laughed, " So you guys really are as stupid as you look then? Now, you have two options. You can surrender to me. Or you can be taken as a prisoner of the Dwarves. I won't have you killed, but that isn't much of a boon right now. To surrender, just throw down your wands."

Unsurprisingly, most of them threw their wands down, and began to walk over to Harry's side. The Dwarves immediately clapped those that did in irons, and began to march them off. Again, not surprisingly, Neville was the only one remaining. He shouted, " You won't get me like this Harry!"

Harry sneered, "And why not?"

Neville smiled, " Because Dumbledore taught me this."

Neville fired an over powered Lumos spell, blinding everyone, and then jumped of the tower. Harry rubbed his eyes, muttering, " What the fuck was that?"

Varrac uncovered his eyes, " Looks like the little bastard got away. Come, I think Black said something about a duel going on downstairs."

Just then, Harry and Varrac were stopped by Hagrid's brother, Grawp. Funny enough, he had snuck up on them. The giant said calmly, " Grawp wishes to battle with Little Hair over Hagger."

Harry crossed his arms, " You want to do what?"

" Grawp wishes to battle with Harry over Hagger. If Pot wins, then Hagger is prisoner. If Grawp Win, then Hagger is free to go. We fight to the death. No magic."

Varrac laughed loudly, " Surely the giant is insane? The Harry I know wouldn't dare accept such a …."

" I accept your challenge and your terms."

Varrac's jaw dropped. He pulled Harry aside, " Harry, I've done some crazy things in my life, but this is just stupid. Single combat with a giant and no magic? Are you insane?"

" I really wish people would quit asking me that."

Varrac quipped, " Well, people wouldn't ask if they didn't have good reason…."

Harry drew Godric's sword, " I may not know how to use this blade the right way, but I do know that I can outsmart a Giant. Bring it."

Varrac just shook his head, and walked off.

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( The Great Hall…What's left of it)

Sirius shouted, " This duel is a duel to the death between Chevalier Royeaux and Albus Dumbledore. Winner Take All, no second chances. Are the participants ready?"

Dumbledore nodded, and Cheval hissed in agreement. Sirius shouted, " Then let it begin!"

The duel started off innocently enough. Both combatants seemed to be just staring at each other. But Sirius could tell that Dumbledore was trying to set up some conjuration on the battlefield. As for Cheval? He was just muttering something in French.

It started as a strange cold wind blowing in the Great Hall. Given that there were several breaches in the walls large enough for several Abrams tanks to drive through, Sirius just shrugged it off. Until he noticed how much colder and more piercing this wind was than the normal Scottish winds. The remaining walls seemed to glare in anger at whatever spell had been used. Dumbledore was looking around, seemingly paranoid, so it hadn't been him who had cast the spell.

Snape muttered, " There is no way this spell is what I think it is…."

" What's that?"

Snape watched as angry red spirits began to appear in the Great Hall, " Winter of Souls. The spirits of those who have died have been summoned to fight."

Dumbledore saw the spirits, and began to blast them aside using Exorcism spells. Cheval was strafing Dumbledore, directing the spirits to distract him whilst he attacked. Dumbledore showed some insane agility for a man his age, flipping away from a spell that neither Sirius nor Snape had ever seen. Dumbledore took advantage of a small lull, and aimed the Elder Wand at Cheval. A small red beam of light appeared, and hit Cheval straight in the chest. At first, nothing happened. Cheval cast a powerful blocking spell. Then a massive beam of light flashed out of Dumbledore's wand, and struck Cheval's shield. The shield held, but Cheval was driven back into one of the walls.

Dumbledore pressed his temporary advantage. He fired a ball of fire at Cheval, and led in with a flame throwing spell. Cheval stayed icy cold, and neutralized the fire with an overpowered Aguamentii jet of water. The water hose like spell knocked the old man back, driving him far enough away to allow Cheval to regain his bearings.

Sirius knew that Dumbledore was an elite duelist, among other things, but he had no clue at some of the spells that were being flung around. A sickly yellow curse flew across the ruined Great Hall. Cheval used Protego Horribilis to block the spell.

Cheval leapt over a table, flipped it up into the air, and banished it at Dumbledore. Sirius saw Cheval hide a powerful Blood Boiler curse behind it the table. Dumbledore must have known as well, because he simply sidestepped the table rather than blast it. Dumbledore returned fire with a spear of light. The attack blasted right through Cheval's shield, but didn't do much damage to his left arm. Sirius watched in silence as the duel began to pick up.

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( Harry VS Grawp)

Varrac was still cursing Harry, but Harry didn't care. Varrac stood on a ledge of the Tower, " This is a One On One combat situation between Harry James Potter and Grawp! Let the Battle Begin!"

Grawp lowered his head and charged at Harry like a bull. Like a matador, Harry sidestepped the rush, but his sword clanged uselessly against Grawp's leg armor. The giant swept his battle axe low, causing Harry to curse as he hopped into the air. The axe passed neatly beneath him, but he barely had time to suck in a new breath as Grawp recoiled and slammed the axe down. Harry raised his shield to block it. He felt his arm shatter under the blast. _Great, exactly what I needed. A debilitating injury at the very start of the fight._

Harry winced, backing away from the angry giant. He sidestepped the axe, and slashed at the giant's arm. He felt the blade stick against flesh, and heard a howl of pain. He ripped the blade free, and felt energy flow into his body. He watched Grawp coil away in pain to regroup. He looked at the blade. Godric had been the veteran of many battles. He must have enchanted the blade to restore his energy base on damage dealt. Harry noticed his left arm didn't hurt anymore. Still broken, but didn't hurt.

Harry watched in awe as Grawp pulled out a powder, smeared it on the wound, and it instantly sealed. The damn giant had Healing Potions! Grawp smiled, " Potter didn't say nothin' 'bout items."

Varrac chuckled, " He's got a good point Harry. Then again, I wouldn't expect a giant to be running around with Health pots either."

Harry rolled his eyes, and was almost caught off guard by the giant taking a smaller axe, and hurling it at him. Harry rolled under the thrown axe, noting that it was easily large enough to cleave his head in two. He stood up, and charged the giant.

Rushing in, he got under the giant's guard, and earned two quick slashes that clanged against the giant's armor. Cursing, he parried the first swing, and back stepped to avoid the rebound swing. Harry shield bashed the giant, knocking Grawp back, surprising him with the recoil. Harry drove his sword against the chest plate, only to be turned aside by the plate. Harry felt insane pain as the giant punched him, slamming him back, and shattering a rib. Harry winced again in pain.

He renewed his attack, not allowing Grawp to regain his composure. The Giant was knocked off balance by another shield bash. Harry followed it up with a strike at his legs, forcing the giant to block down low while Harry pommel struck him in the head, staggering him. Harry raised the sword of Gryffindor, and drove it home. Alas, it was but a glancing blow, and the Giant quickly recovered.

Harry was quickly forced back into a defensive posture. The giant attacked relentlessly, swinging his battle axe as fast as he could, often leaving himself very vulnerable. Unfortunately, the Giant was more than capable of making sure that the only open areas were well protected by the armor he was wearing. Harry parried an errant slash, and sliced both the giant's hands off.

Grawp howled in pain, raising the stubs that used to be his hands in the air. He shouted, " I GO DOWN FIGHT!"

Harry didn't need anyone to explain. Grawp lowered his head, and began to launch himself around the tower. Harry was now playing a high stakes game of Matador with a rampaging bull. He threw himself to the side, and watched as Grawp careened off the edge of the Astronomy Tower. Varrac muttered, " Well, that was anti-climatic"

Harry shrugged, and then winced. Varrac smiled, " Looks like those wounds have caught up with you. Let's get you down to the medics so they can heal up that arm in particular."

Harry laughed slightly as Varrac tossed a painkiller at him, and began to guide him down.

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( Great Hall)

Cheval jumped aside from that Light Blast that Dumbledore seemed to be favoring in this fight. He vaguely remembered the incantation for that spell being something like Finales Funkeln or something like that. He summoned a stone to block a stunner, and sent a more lethal version of the spell back at Dumbledore.

Dumbledore shifted away from the curse, and sent a large ball of fire at Cheval. He replied with a ball of water to neutralize, and a spike of ice behind it. Dumbledore blocked the ice, and pointed both his wands at the ground, send tremors through the earth. Cheval had to stop to maintain his balance, and Dumbledore capitalized. A jab of the Death Wand, and a wave of shuriken whipped through the air.

Cheval ducked to avoid the storm, and fired a bolt of lightning at Dumbledore, who reflected the bolt back. Both sides were beginning to lose their patience, and their magic stores as well. Sirius Black noticed it, and muttered to Remus, " They're both running low. Should end soon."

Cheval heard that, and charged. Unleashing a hail of curses, he ducked away from the light blast that Dumbledore had been using, and got in under his guard. In that moment, time seemed to slow. In slow motion, Cheval drew the blade Joyeaux and rammed it into Dumbledore's chest. Blood spurted forth, but the old man held tightly. He threw the Death Wand to the floor, and slashed Cheval across the face with the Razors of Ravenclaw, staggering him back. Then, they all heard it.

_AVADA KEDAVRA!_

Everyone turned to a hole in the wall to see Neville Longbottom firing the curse right dead into Chevalier's back. Both Cheval and his rival, Dumbledore, died at the same time.

Sirius shouted, " What the hell?"

Remus tried to intercept Neville, but Longbottom stunned Moony, summoned the Death Wand, and Apparated away from the battlefield. Sirius cursed loudly. Guillaume had seen the whole thing, and the only thing he muttered out was, " We're in trouble."

That struck Sirius as an odd thing for a man who had just lost his father to say, " Why?"

Guillaume muttered back, " My father was ze only thing keeping many of zese Frenchmen 'ere! Most will leave now zat he is dead. Let us just say zat many only respected my father for his abilities, but never for his position. Most hated us."

Sirius nodded. That wasn't good. Typical envy probably. The Royeauxs pretty much had everything, being the premiere family in France. So naturally, all the others wouldn't like them very much. Sirius' thoughts were interrupted when Harry was helped down by Varrac. Sirius shouted, " What the hell were you doing Harry?"

Harry coughed out, " Giant…"

" What?"

Varrac commented, " Dumbass here decided it would be cool to fight a giant in single combat without magic. He got lucky as shit, because Grawp charged off the Astronomy Tower."

Sirius was shocked, and impressed, " Good job Harry! Just the kind of thing I would have done at your age."

Harry chuckled slightly as one of the medics began to heal his broken bones. The victory was theirs.

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( Royeauxs)

" **Father is dead**?"

Guillaume nodded to his sister, " **Yes. He died in battle, though it was to a curse in the back. His dishonorable opponent being responsible."**

Lenore hugged her brother, " **Why does this happen to us? I'm back for a month and then father goes and gets himself killed! It seems so unfair…."**

** " Life isn't fair, Lenore. If it was, then we would never have met Harry, Mother would still be alive, and the Dark Lord would never have risen again. We just have to deal and adapt."**

Lenore sobbed into her brother's chest, tears running down the sides of her face. Guillaume looked up to see Harry's servant, Hermione rushing towards them. Guillaume shouted, " Go away! Zis is not a good time."

Hermione shouted back, " Where's Harry? This is important?"

Guillaume rolled his eyes, " In ze Great Hall, being treated for his injuries I think."

They watched as the woman ran off towards Hogwarts. Lenore muttered, " **What could have happened? She looked upset."**

** " Don't worry about it Lenore, we have to bury father. Then we shall worry about the problems of the world. I don't know who this Neville Longbottom is, but he will pay for his intrusion in a Duel to the Death."**

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( Great Hall)

Harry was cursing worse than a drunk pirate, " God damn! What the fuck are you guys doing to my arm! Haven't you ever heard of fucking morphine?"

Varrac shouted, " HARRY! SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

They were interrupted by Hermione shouting, " Harry! Where are you?"

Harry rose slightly, bellowing, " BUSY!"

Varrac took Hermione aside, " Alright missy, what's the matter?"

Harry shouted over them, " Bring her over here! I need to hear this too, it must be really important!"

Varrac huffed but guided Hermione over to the table that Harry was being worked on. She gathered a deep breath, " Harry. The Fortress was attacked."

Hermione counted down in her head. _3…2….1….Detonation._ She wasn't wrong. Harry shouted, " WHAT?"

Hermione answered, " Death Eaters attacked. They broke the wards somehow, and they had these ….creatures…. that slaughtered the dragons. I got Tracy and Gabrielle to 's, but I don't know what happened to Daphne. I…I think they took her."

Harry slumped back, " Damn it ! Why does this always happen? One step forward, eight steps back!"

Varrac chided, " I wonder what will happen to her?"

Harry glared at the dwarf, " They will torture, rape and kill her! If we don't act quick, then she won't have a chance! Varrac! Trace them!"

Varrac looked at Hermione, " Take me to Potter Mansion, and my boys should be able to trace them from there. Let's go."

A/N: Next up, Harry finds out where they took Daphne and he is not pleased. One of his chief abilities is revealed.

So I hope this chapter wasn't too bad, but like I said, battles aren't really my specialty.

Keep a lookout for a new story I'm writing called Goblin Champion. A spin on the Harry in Azkaban story, except that the Goblins intervene, as well as the opposite of the usual Harry Assassin/Ninja, instead, a Knight/Samurai. Harry's forced to serve a sentence in their Legion of the Damned instead.

Spells/Translations/Descriptions

Finales Funkeln ( Dumbledore's special): German for Final Sparkle , the attack fires a large beam of light in a single direction. This isn't an original spell, I just borrowed it from League of Legends ( Lux's Ultimate), of which the spell itself is based off of the Master Spark attack (Marisa Kirisame).

Winter Of Souls ( Cheval's Special): A Spell that summons the souls and spirits of those who have died in an area to fight for the user. Requires great will to use, and is only known to accomplished Spirit Mages.

Augue: Latin for Fireball ( Used by Dumbledore)


	12. Chapter 11 Calling My Name

Chapter 11 Calling My Name

A/N: Don't worry Ravenic Tauro, I won't play around like I did last time.

" _The spirits are calling my name. They beg me to free them someday_" Dragonland, Calling My Name

" Damn Hermione. This place is a wreck."

Varrac trudged through the ruined walls of Potter Fortress. His engineers and masons were inspecting the stonework to ascertain it's strength, and it appeared to be in good order, though repairs would be needed. Varrac ran the dousing rod made of pure lyrium around the study. It appeared as though most of the fighting had occurred here, and that Daphne wasn't going into that lonely night quietly.

Hermione grunted, " What do you expect? Me, Ginny, Tracey, and Daphne fought of our lives in this room. Well, we fought to try and keep them from Daphne, because the Death Eaters seemed to ignore the rest of us. Gabrielle came in at the very end, and ended up getting hit by a very bad curse. I think it was Dolohov…"

Varrac began to pick up on a trace, and used it to start a recon. Varrac motioned for one of his better engineers to come over. He muttered, " Can you begin to triangulate the enemy location?"

The engineer shook his head, " We need one more point."

Varrac hissed in disappointment. He moved through the rooms trying to find that last elusive point. Finally, he found it. He sent for the engineer, " I have the two points. Based on the positioning of the North Star, can you calculate this?"

The engineer pulled out several sheets of notebook paper, " I can try. Give me a few minutes."

" Time's money, so hurry up. "

Hermione frowned, " Or in this case, someone's life. "

The engineer pulled up ten minutes later, declaring, " Azkaban Prison."

Varrac huffed, " Boy, Harry isn't going to like this very much."

" You're damn right about that."

Varrac sighed, and turned to the doorway to see Harry walking in with his arm still in a sling. He commented, " You couldn't let the healers finish that up before coming here?"

" Time's money my boy. Now, you said Azkaban right? Not good news, considering that Dark Ass had already captured it and no one felt the need to retake it after he disappeared. I imagine that the Dementors are having some fun with Daphne right now."

Varrac chuckled, " Yeah. Fun is right. Those are the soul sucking things right?"

Harry laughed sadly, " Well, if I know Voldemort, he won't do anything until I get there. So, I'm going it alone. Hermione? Would you please get me a book called Star Fall from the Library? Don't open it, just bring it."

Hermione nodded, and returned ten minutes later with a large tome. The letters on the front were in a gothic font, and under it showed a giant blast of energy falling onto a woman. Harry opened the book, and flipped it open to a specific page. He read it over for a moment, then closed it. Hermione looked kind of distressed. Harry smiled, " Don't worry Hermione, I intend to come back, with Daphne as well. The Death Eaters will not know what hit them."

He turned to the wall, and shouted, " Starfall light your eyes!"

The wall began to glow, and a small portal opened up. Harry walked through it, and disappeared, leaving Hermione and Varrac looking kind of dazed. The Merchant King asked," Granger, did you get a look at any of the spells he was looking at?"

Hermione answered, " Only one. Most of the page was written in some archaic language, but the only name I could read was 'Soul Render.'"

" That's not a name that sounds good. Kind of creeps me out."

Hermione only nodded, when they got an urgent message. One of the Dwarves shouted out, " Lord Guillaume reports that Hogwarts has come under slight attack. He has driven off the enemy, but he thinks there may be more. Permission to enter?"

Hermione nodded. Given that he had a little bit of trust in her, she was the one he gave the House Access rights to whenever he wasn't around. A few moments later, Guillaume, Lenore, and the rest of Potter's Army came marching in. Sirius was the first to ask, " Where's Harry?"

Varrac answered calmly, " Mr. Insanity decided to attack Azkaban by himself. Apparently they kidnapped one of his wives."

Lenore shouted, " Is 'e insane? 'Arry should know better zan zis!"

Sirius muttered darkly, " If Harry knew better than something like this, than I would think he was being Polyjuiced. Daphne right?"

Varrac nodded. Sirius grimaced, " Damn, that really isn't good news."

Hermione asked, " Why?"

" Because Daphne was the only one he didn't have some sort of problem with when he found out he was supposed to get married to her. Let's see, Gabrielle was like eleven at the time. Tracey hated him because of me. Daphne found him in a bookstore in France not long after he arrived, and he said they hit off pretty well. He said she was the only one he would still marry if he had choice in the matter."

Everyone was a little shocked at that statement, especially Hermione. Since she hadn't been around when Harry first got together with his three wives, she didn't know that extreme conflicts that ensued not just between them and Harry, but between themselves as well. Tracey hadn't started off on the right foot, and her liberalistic views didn't go over well either. Daphne had been the most understanding and compassionate, but even she hadn't been able to hold her temper in sometimes. Gabrielle was the worst, because of her Veela heritage, she sometimes emitted an aura that caused all the women to hate each other, and sometimes Harry, even more than they already did. But they all had one thing in common. Harry Potter was not the man that any of them had envisioned marrying.

Tracey was fiercely independent, kind of like Ginny had a reputation of being. She never dated anyone, ever. She had been known to rebuke suitors with quite fiery remarks, leaving many with bruised pride. She had visions of a career, and a well established life before she got married.

Daphne, on the other hand, had been brought up like a traditional Pureblood wife. But she had been in an "on-again-off-again" relationship with their former friend Blaise Zabini. They had just entered into one of the " On Again" stages when she found out about her father's plans. They eventually found that that was the reason Blaise had ratted them out to Dumbledore. He was jealous of Harry. Harry had killed Blaise himself during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Gabrielle had a whole different reason. Like her sister had before her, she was entering her Veela Maturing Period, and looked forward to savoring the benefits that it brought. Of course, you can imagine what these benefits were.

Sirius continued to explain, " Harry's problem wasn't that they were pretty. He'll be the first to admit to you that he is INTENSLEY aroused by even semi-attractive witches. He's got the old Potter Sex Drive, and it appears some of mine rubbed off on him as well. On top of three wives, he's got a decorated history of adultery before he even recognized the marriages with that ring of his."

Hermione was flabbergasted, " W-w-what?"

Lenore answered, " It is true. I 'ave come across him 'aving his way with Danielle several times. It was quite noisy sometimes."

" Danielle?"

Guillaume answered, " The American girl who plays chaser on ze French Quidditch team. Lenore didn't like her too much because she is rather selfish."

Lenore nodded, " She tends to be, how do you say? Possessive? She plays selfishly, not for ze team. "

Varrac burst in, " And she screwed Harry. That what you trying to avoid saying?"

Lenore glared at the dwarf, but held her tongue in uneasy silence. Sirius felt the tension rise considerably in the room, before intervening, " Hey, that was all in the past alright guys? I know Harry's Triple Veela Sex Drive offends some people, but you guys just need to get the fuck over it."

The statement earned him some glares, even from his cousins, Bella and Narcissa, but it quelled the tensions for the moment. Guillaume, Remus, and Sirius entered Harry's kitchen for a Meeting of the Minds. Sirius started off, " Guillaume. How many Frenchmen did we lose?"

" Casualties or because of my father's death?"

" Both."

Guillaume frowned heavily, " Over three quarters. Most of them who remained were all in it because of ze respect zey held for Cheval. Zey see me as being too young. Not powerful enough, to command ze forces."

Sirius placed a hand on his shoulder, " Don't worry, the strong willed always prove the fools wrong. Mooney?"

Moony pulled out some papers, " The Dwarves lost some three hundred. Not very impressive losses because they fielded such an army, but I wonder if they could do so again. The loss of the equipment was more devastating to them."

Sirius frowned. How typical. Just like Goblins, those lot are. Don't care about the people, just the items. At least Varrac's a nice guy about it.

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( Azkaban)

Harry stepped out of the portal and onto the barren island that was Azkaban Isle. Wasteland wasn't out of the question for the island. Most of it was dominated by the prison itself. Everything else was bare and icy. He clutched the tome close to his body, bracing against the frigid wind. He began to walk towards the doors of the fortress, when a voice hailed him.

" Nice to see you again Potter! Here for your little girlfriend?"

Harry spat on the ground, " Nice to see you too, Peter. Been betraying anyone lately?"

Harry heard Pettigrew hiss, and the doors began to creak open. Harry smiled as he strode confidently in. He took in the situation. Daphne, tied to a chair. Dementor being held not far away. Clearly they were going to try and ransom her. Harry had a different idea. He flipped the book open, and found a suitable spell. He kept the book open, looking at the Death Eaters. Naturally, some high rankers were there. Dolohov, Macnair, etc, etc. Dolohov shouted, " Sit your wands on the ground Potter, and slide them to us. Do it now, or the girl gets the Kiss!"

Harry felt a small tremor go through his body, but he unstrapped the brace, and slid it on the ground. Dolohov shouted, " The other too!"

Harry snickered, and threw his Blooddrinker on the ground next to the bracer. Harry then reopened his book to the page he had marked. Dolohov smiled, " Good boy Potter. Now, watch as your girl dies!"

Dolohov grunted out some guttural language, and the Dementor moved over to Daphne, who was now screaming. Harry began a chant. It was an ancient, archaic, daemonic language. Even the Dementor flinched at the sounds of the language. Dolohov shouted out, " What sort of madness is this?"

Harry's voice shouted out, though his body was busy performing the spell, " This is the darkness within that must be freed. This is the Power of Death that must destroy and claim its victims!"

Peter watched from above, listening to the foul words. Words that hadn't been spoken since the dawn of man. The Language of Spirits.

With a wave of his hand, Harry unleashed the power of the spell. Black tides of magic rolled out, screaming forth in anger. Dolohov's eyes went wide as the magic rammed itself against his shield, breaking it, and slinging him into the wall. His face contorted as the magic ripped him apart, blood spurting forth and organs dripping to the ground. Harry relaxed after Dolohov's messy and painful death. He shouted some unknown language. Unnoticed, the Dementor had advanced on Daphne, and was now performing the Kiss.

At the last minute, Harry saw the Dementor. He saw a pearl white soul ripped out of its body, and Daphne slumped back. Then, Harry did the most unimaginable thing possible. He smiled. He stooped to pick up his Blood wand, and then slipped the brace with his other wand back onto his arm. Pettigrew thought Potter was showing an unusual amount of calm for the fact that one of his friends had just gotten the Kiss. Then Potter shouted out, " It's ok to watch Peter. It'll just give you something to tell Voldemort when you go back to him."

Peter froze in his boots when Harry said that. Harry chuckled, and suddenly thrust his wand at the Dementor, shouting, " _Spiritum reddat!"_

A sickly, but amazingly fast, blast of red energy burst forth, struck the Dementor in the chest, and in a dazzling flash of light, burst open. When the light fadded, nothing remained by the Dementor's head, its gaping maw open in what appeared to be a scream of terror. Little sparks of light congregated around what remained of the Dementor. Harry pointed his blood wand at the sparks, shouting, " _Spiritum Reformare!"_

The lights congealed, forming together into a white form of Daphne Greengrass. She whimpered out, " H-H-Harry? What are you doing?"

Harry muttered, " Saving you."

He pointed his wand first at the spirit, hissing, " _Imbuo",_ and then at Daphne's body, " _Epichysis!"_

Peter watched as a flash of light hit the spirit, and forced it back into Greengrass's body. Her eyes opened with a sudden jerk, and she looked around startled. She whispered, " Harry? What happened?"

Harry sliced the ropes, and picked her up, for she was too weak to walk, " I just save you. You got the Dementor's Kiss, and I returned your soul to you."

"T-That's impossible."

Harry smiled, " Expect the unexpected and impossible from me. Peter!"

Peter jerked up, and Harry shouted to him, " Be sure to tell your master about this. See you later. Star fall lights your eyes."

With those words, a rift opened, and Harry walked through it.

3-412-345-4-45-65-75-67-467-45-67-566-4-53-5-34-3456-456-567-456-745-65-45-345-456-67-6-67

( Later…Dark Lord)

" What the hell are you talking about, Peter?"

Peter shivered at the feet of the Dark Lord, " Potter used some ancient magic. He caused Dolohov to explode! Literally! Like his blood was suddenly boiling and trying to escape his body!"

Voldemort fell back on his throne slightly, " Potter knows such magic? Is it possible? Then I guess Potter will be a formidable opponent then. What of the girl?"

" The Dementor Kissed her, but then Potter used a series of spells to destroy the Dementor and ensconced her soul back in her body."

Voldemort hissed, " Impossible! I thought that Dementors destroyed the souls of those they kissed?"

" Same here, but Potter used some deep magic that I doubt even you know of. He had a book, it was called StarFall."

Voldemort hissed, " Starfall? Impossible! There was only ever two copies of that book ever made! And no one knows where either of them are!"

" Apparently Potter does. I heard him use a Portal Spell to leave. He said, ' Starfall Lights your eyes.'"

Voldemort sank back further, " Then Potter shall truly be a worthy adversary. "

45-465-45-675-68-5678-7-85-6-45-2345-45-6767-55-6-45-7568-456-867-887-9-77-56-4-624-624-56-456-

( Potter Fortress)

" And he used some sort of restoration sequence to bring my soul back into my body. I don't know how he did it."

Hermione was amazed. She had never heard of such magic. Like all other wizards, she had thought that a soul that was Kissed by a Dementor was utterly destroyed. But Harry had destroyed a Dementor ( another impossibility made simple), and then restored Daphne back to normal. But Guillaume was disquieted on the other hand.

_Harry's not just a Soul Mage. He's a Spirit Mage. He can use magic to summon Spirits to do his bidding, just like Father could. Bet that's where he got that book from. But he's so much more powerful that father was. He could do something truly terrible. Maybe rupture the Veil and bring forth truly horrifying entities. He must not be pushed too far. We cannot allow it. I will not allow it._ Guillaume thought with a look to his sister. Lenore wasn't as discomforted by the tale of the power wielded by Harry, but she was still not comfortable with it.

_If Harry's like father, then he'll be even more powerful. Father flirted with demonic entities using his power, and almost fell to them. Could Harry be the Dark Lord and not Voldemort? No! Mustn't think such thoughts!_ Lenore shook her head to clear her mind as Harry walked in, and gave Daphne a kiss. Lenore slumped. Harry Potter, like it or not, was the Savior of the Wizarding World. She would do whatever it took to make sure he doesn't become the Destroyer of the World.

Snape looked over the general discontent of the Royeaux siblings, and felt his mind wander into Guillaume's. A subtle pull of legillimency, and Snape had his answer. Appeared that both Royeauxs were afraid of what Dumbledore often called " The Power the Dark Lord Knows Not!"

He pondered this. Apparently, Chevalier had been such a Spirit mage, able to summon spirits to fight for him. He hadn't been a Necromancer, capable of making life from that which no longer has it. Instead, he had been a dangerous form of the Spirit Seer, someone who used the spirits to gain knowledge of coming events.

Snape sneered uneasily. If the Wizard World's fate hung so precariously on the emotions of Harry Potter, then thank whatever Gods there are that Harry could vent his emotions through Hermione and Ginny. Severus didn't know that Harry didn't have to do that anymore.

But no one knew that Harry had been flirting dangerously with Daemons and Spirits already. His mind, powerful though it was, had no Occlumency barriers. His own natural barriers were not that powerful. Whenever Harry slept, he either used Dreamless Sleep potions, or he faced a harrowing battle with the monsters that would possess him and use his powers against the world. But tonight, tonight was going to be different. Harry was going to take a vital step in trying to stem these attacks. He was going to seal Voldemort's link to him. Having two minds in one made you apparently far more enticing to a daemonic entity, as corrupting one corrupts the other.

Interestingly, it meant that Voldemort had always been doing things of his own accord, and he wasn't a possessed abomination of sorts. Disturbing or otherwise, at least Voldemort was performing his atrocities with a clean conscious.

Later that night…..

_3403043405600567056-75-678-678-7-9-676-455-34-23-434-5-456-456-_

_( Dream Sequence)_

_" Come Forth, Voldemort! I know you're there!"_

_A hiss from his connection replied, " Harry Potter, since when have you decided to call me out in your mind?"_

_" Since I found out I could. Why do you ask?"_

_The Dark Lord suddenly appeared in a large throne. He shrugged his shoulders, " I don't know. Are you tempted by your power over the spirits? After all, there is great power you could have."_

_" Power is mine for the taking, Voldemort. I don't need your help, or anyone else's."_

_The Dark Lord smiled, " Desire it, and you will have it. Lose your calm whilst fighting, and you could destroy everything you hold dear. And you will like it. How did you figure out Lenore then?"_

_" Simple, she was a little off when she was 'rescued' by Snape. Don't kid me either, I know you arranged it. She would still be your handmaiden if you hadn't had some grand plan for her. So I used my abilities to infiltrate her dreams and neutralize the potion."_

_The Dark Lord praised him, " I always knew that Dumbledore would ruin you. Let me ask though, how did you come across these powers. Surely this isn't the first time you've manipulated the Spirit Realm, or the Fade."_

_" I lost it when Sirius went through the Veil, so I used my ability unconsciously. When Remus stopped me from rushing in, my power called to Sirius, and urged him to come back. So he did. After that, I made it a point to practice my ability by calling on the spirits of small animals, like mice. Chevalier caught me, and gave me the book Starfall."_

_Voldemort hissed, " So you actually have a copy of the book deemed so powerful that only two copies were ever made? A book older than this World itself? Written by Creation itself? So powerful that not even Merlin could bear to let it survive? So he killed himself to try and destroy it?"_

_" One and the same. A book in a language older than mankind, older than any life that has ever known this earth. Somewhere out in space, there is a race that commands amazing power. I can only pray that they never come. I only know one. His name is the Watcher."_

_Voldemort's red eyes went wide, " You've spoken to one?"_

_" The Centaurs call him the Great Protector. The Defender of Mankind, the one who protects us from a universe of angry Gods. A God Emperor of sorts."_

_Voldemort sank back, " Well, that is to be suspected then. Still I am intrigued by your Spirit and Soul Magic."_

_" You can't use them you know. Your soul isn't powerful enough after the Horcruxes."_

_Voldemort smiled, " I know. You figured out that Lenore is one too? A Spirit Mage?"_

_" W-W-What? Impossible! Lenore has never shown any unusual powers. I know her brother uses Blood Magic, but that's not really that unusual."_

_Voldemort's smile became a mocking smirk, " Then it would behoove you to rekindle your friendship with her. I normally would not give advice to my great opponent, but I urge you to keep her tight. She is…unstable…in the dreamscape. It would not take much for a Daemon to possess her. It may have already happened. Then you would have a true monstrosity on your hands."_

_" Is she more powerful than I am?"_

_Voldemort hissed, " She is. She is what they call a Dreamer. She can shape this void just by wishing it to happen. She can send messages, subtle urges, through the fade and force people to do her bidding. She fears you to be a Dark Lord Ascending, you must fear her to be a Dark Lady Ascending. I discovered it when she would fall asleep after the Death Eaters had finished tormenting her. I would monitor Wormtail's mind, and she would send alluring messages, tempting him to succumb to desire. To free her. And she didn't even mean to do it either. Thus, to prevent my Death Eaters from being brought against me, I released her."_

_" Am I correct in guessing that Lenore cannot truly control her abilities like I can control mine?"_

_" Yes, she cannot. If she could have, you would never have to worry about fighting me. She would have turned my own Death Eaters against me, and would have taken over. You would be fighting her instead. Potter, we may be enemies of the highest degree, but I would ask a boon of you."_

_Harry was slightly surprised, " What do you ask?"_

_" What I have told you, is all I know about Soul and Spirit Magic. I would only do this if I fear for my own safety and this world's safety. After all, if the world's destroyed, who am I going to rule? "_

_Harry smiled, " Valid point. I can understand fear. I've lived most of my life fearing you, and now that I don't, I can sympathize for a first timer."_

_" Hah, nice one Potter. Anyway, I would ask that you destroy Lenore, if something should happen to her. If she should suddenly lose control over her emotions, suddenly gain only hate, you must be the one to destroy her. As much as it pains me to admit it, in this aspect, only you are powerful enough for this task."_

_Harry grimaced, " I can make no promises. Lenore is my friend. I will not promise her death. Especially since you can do something to assure this would happen."_

_Voldemort began to grow angry, " Potter! You must understand! I am not doing this as a ploy to get you to attack me rashly or otherwise! I am doing this for the Greater Good of humanity. Our visions may be different, but you and I both agree that humanity must continue to survive! I am doing this, because if a daemon should possess that girl, especially a really powerful one, then we may be doomed! Not just me or you. All of us! Death Eater or otherwise!"_

_Harry stood valiant, " If that should happen, then I shall only kill her if there is no other way possible. Only as an absolute last resort. That is as binding as you will get out of me, Tom Riddle. How would she be possessed anyway?"_

_" You truly don't know do you?"_

_Harry hissed back, " Know what?"_

_" You're the only friend she's ever had in her whole life besides her brother. Pettigrew wormed that out her himself. What sort of desire do you think a daemon could promise that would convince her to accept? "_

_Harry's jaw dropped, " Is this really true?"_

_Voldemort smiled evilly, " Peter interrogated her with Veritaserum. She confessed that she was once jealous of Tracey Davis."_

_" This conversation is over."_

_Harry shut off the link, unwilling to hear whatever venom, true or otherwise, Tom Riddle might spout at him. It was bad enough that his anger was already coming to him. Then, another entity appeared. It was massive. A giant human, wearing ebon black armor, carrying a long glaive-like scythe in its hands. Golden eyes peered at him from under the dark helm. A massive All Seeing Eye was emblazoned on its armor. A cold voice whispered out, " What he says is true, Harry. If the girl is possessed, than it would be beyond your power to save her."_

_" Watcher, this is not the time for me to deal with you."_

_The Watcher whispered back, " Yes it is. I am the coldness that steadies you. I am the side the keeps you from losing all balance. The side that keeps you out of the darkness, but not in the light either. I am the grey that allows you to exist. Without me, you would die from your powers. I watched over Chevalier, and I will continue to watch over you. You are a Chosen One. You must use it."_

_Harry calmed down, " Very well. Now, let me sleep. I have much to think on."_

_" Of course."_

_The spirits may call my name, but I will deny them…_

A/N: I was rather surprised that no one ever really asked how Sirius came back to life, to be honest, but now you have it. Harry's latent power, the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, called to his spirit and brought him back into being.

Veneer of Calm: This is the first chapter where it's really obvious that Harry's controlling and hiding his emotions, rather than letting them run free like in Canon. After all, can you imagine what canon Harry would have done in this chapter?

The Watcher: The Watcher is an enigmatic OC who's duty is to watch over Mankind to prevent its destruction. Who he really is, his power, and his real duties, are unknown. Even to me, his creator, because I haven't gotten far enough in Rune Reader yet to explain what he really is. His role isn't as important in this story though.

Soul VS Spirit Magic: It may not make sense but there is a difference between the two. Soul is the defensive, passive magic that is based off of the user's ability to control their emotions. Spirit Magic is the offensive form of this magic that often involves spirits and souls, and hinges on the user not feeling emotions at all.

Latin:

Spiritum Reddat: Soul Render. Destroys soul based creatures, like Dementors. Can also split and break souls into pieces. Powerful Spirit Magic. Harry Only.

Spiritum Reformare: Soul Reform. Reconstructs a destroyed soul from the remains of the creature that destroyed it. Divine Level Soul Magic. Harry Only.

Imbuo: Implant.


	13. Chapter 12 The Sanctity of Allegiance

Chapter 12 The Sanctity of Allegiance

A/N: I rather like to enforce balance in my stories by having Harry perform evil actions to balance out the good ones.

This is kind of a filler chapter.

As I say at the end of this chapter, the end of this story is approaching. Maybe three or four more chapters with an Epilogue to tie up Voldemort, Lenore, and a potential problem introduced in this chapter.

Another token from Dragon Age, is that mages would often end up possessed by Daemons. Well, I've taken than, and twisted that a little in a way I think you all might be a little disgusted by, but might like.

Kwisatz Haderach: Sorry you feel that way, but as a warning to everyone else, he is right. I don't really have the same staying power as some other writers, considering that my inspirations shift almost constantly.

**"French"**

_**"Daemonic"**_

" 'Arry? Would you care to speak with me for a few moments?"

Harry shrugged, " I don't see why not. I've got plenty of time, especially for a friend, Guillaume."

Guillaume shrugged as well, " I don't know if you would consider me a friend once you've heard what I have to say."

" And why is that?"

Guillaume's hand gripped his rapier, " Because, I know what you are."

" I guess your father told you?"

Guillaume smirked, " No, I figured it out by myself. A Spirit and a Soul Mage."

" Yeah, I've been told that I'm one of the first Dual Summoner in years. There a particular problem about that?"

Guillaume lowered his eyes, " I…was told by my father before ze battle of Hogwarts to make sure you did not fall too deep. That you did not consult with ze Daemons."

" I have no intentions of being possessed. Funnily enough, the Dark Lord tried to make a similar demand of me about your sister."

Guillaume gasped. Harry smiled at his shock, " Yes, apparently his hair isn't the only thing that Lenore inherited. She inherited his talent for the Spiritual magics. Only, she can't control them, and can't learn them either. "

Guillaume glared, " 'Arry, zat is impossible. You learned zem, why can't she?"

Harry frowned, " She isn't powerful enough. Make no mistake, your sister is a talented witch, but she isn't powerful enough to learn the arts. You aren't either. No offense, but there is a huge discrepancy between you two. You make your sister look like a muggle."

Guillaume smiled, " I certainly don't take offense to it, but I'm not so sure about Lenore. Either way, if you're so much more powerful zan Lenore is, zen why did the Dark Lord send you a message to kill her?"

Harry chuckled, " Well, he could just be fucking with me. But I don't think he is. As you know, Spirit Mages are most powerful when they are in emotionless states. As such, sleeping is a great time to separate your conscious from your body and investigate. Lenore is magic repressed."

" What does zat mean?"

Harry's smile turned into a mocking smirk, " A lot of people used to believe that my magic was sealed by Dumbledore, because I was supposed to be so powerful, but could only use a stipend of it. Well, let me just say that Lenore suffers from the natural version of it, and unlike myself, she was born with it. It is unlikely she will ever access even fifty percent of her magical power. The barriers fade with time and practice, but she would have to train harder than those guys from that anime to be able to access it. "

" That's unreal. And this is completely natural? How many people are born with it?"

Harry recited, " Roughly one in every three Magical Children are born with some sort of Magical Repression. Some, like Neville, are able to shed it after enough practice and time. But others, like Lenore, will never be able to maximize their potential. They call it ' Peak Power.' The highest power you can ever attain. Before I went to France, my max potential was at roughly 60% of my total Magic Power. Now I can attain 120%, so 20% more than I should be able to use at maximum."

" Let me guess, of the two remaining children, then it is a one in every five is born a Squib?"

Harry chuckled, " Exactly. How'd you know that?"

" My father originally thought I was a Squib. I guess it runs in the family then, because Father said that he had been like that when he was younger too. And his father, Etienne, before that."

Harry suddenly raised his eyebrows, " You know, you've never told me too much about your family, Guillaume. Well, about your life before we met."

Guillaume frowned, " It was boring. Very boring."

" Can't have been."

Guillaume turned to him, " Better go get some drinks, because it's a long story, somewhat sad, though not like yours."

The two retired to Harry's personal study. Oddly, all of his wives, and his private Army, made good to stay out of his way. No one else bothered to even speak to him except Guillaume. In fact, he didn't even see anyone else. He wondered why?

They took seats facing each other, and Guillaume cracked open a bottle of Harry's finest champagne, and poured himself a large glass. Harry followed suit, and opened his ears. Guillaume told the story quickly in French.

" **Well, let us see here? I was born on May 9th, 1980. Son of Chevalier and Constance Royeaux. My father first met my mother when she was just nine years old, and he was eighteen. Etienne and Chevalier hated each other almost as bad as you said you used to hate Snape. So bad, that he forced Chevalier to marry a girl he was nine years older than. **

** He didn't have a choice. It was marry her, or be disowned. Being the only son, that meant that our cousins, the Viscount Weasleys, would have taken over the Royeaux family. He could not allow that. Chevalier was in love with a powerful Swedish sorceress named Alyssa Temkhe at the time. That comes into play later.**

** Chevalier immediately dropped his relationship with her, and returned home to meet the child he would eventually end up marrying. He knew the girl would be a fabulous beauty when she got older, but he almost couldn't bear the age gap. His father had slipped numerous infidelity clauses into the contract as well, so Cheval was forced to endure his worst hormonal years as essentially a chaste monk. He performed many horrific acts that earned him great fame, hate and love, all in equal parts. **

** Chevalier was a duelist, and like yourself, his anger was catastrophic. His anger, his sheer hate for his father, fueled his spells to a potency that saw even Expelliarmus become lethal. After he was kicked out of the Duelist circuit for killing three people with one Stunner, he became an assassin. A contract killer. **

** He took all sorts of contracts, no matter who it was. Kings, Queens, ganglords, peasants, they were all the same to him. He even contemplated hiring himself to kill his father. He almost hoped someone would hire him to kill his father. Screw hoping, he **_**wished,**_** someone would hire him to do it.**

** He became heartless. Worse than the lowest Death Eater. Almost as bad as the Dark Lord himself. He killed without remorse. He began to revel in the bloodshed that he reaped. The Assassin formerly known as Azurial Crystallux was contracted to kill almost ten thousand people across all seven continents. No one was safe from his blade and wand. All those high profile assassinations? His doing. **

** Now, remember that Sorceress, Alyssa Temkhe? Well, it turns out that she was so angry that Chevalier broke up with her, that she cast an Emotion Amplifier spell on him. Thus, every emotion he felt was amplified at least ten times, maybe more. When Cheval found out, on the eve of his true wedding, he hunted her down.**

** In the span of two hours, Chevalier erased almost ten years of track hiding by the woman. He hunted her down in the Cathedral de Notre Dame. She offered to trade her life for knowledge. She taught him the arts of the Spirit Mage, and gave him the book Starfall. Then, Chevalier reneged the agreement. She had made no fail safes. Her head hung from the Bell Tower, her blood was smeared over the pews. Written on the cross in the cathedral, were the words ' Crystallux has taken revenge.'**

** But he left that all behind. Like someone had taken the brutal assassin that had the blood of thousands on his hands and completely destroyed it. Legends are still told of Azurial Crystallux, the only Perfect Assassin. It's all I can do to keep from laughing at them sometimes. **

** Me and Lenore came very close to not existing. While Chevalier vented his wrath by killing people, his betrothed, Constance, fell into deep depression. She contemplated, even attempted, suicide numerous times. But like with father, it was like the day they officially got married, it was all sealed away. Destroyed, never to be seen or heard from again.**

** Well, three years later, I was born. Then, two years after that, Lenore was born. Cheval told me he was so happy that he had both a son and a daughter. Then tragedy struck his life again.**

** Constance was on a walk one day, when she ran across a man. He was an older man, English. Cheval later found out that his name was Igor Karkaroff. Two months after my sister was born, my mother was killed in cold blood because of a fleeing Death Eater who somehow avoided Azkaban. Well, exactly a month after the Tri-Wizard Tournament ended, Chevalier tracked Karkaroff down. He impaled the man on a stake in the middle of a summer school day, and left him to die. He wrote a letter with the words, ' Crystallux has taken revenge.' That school year was cancelled at Durmstrang, because Azurial Crystallux was a feared name.**

** Well, back into the ancient history. It's important for you to know that you really are the first friend me and Lenore ever had. I don't count the Viscount Weasleys, because they're always scheming to get the Royeaux crown. After mother's murder, Chevalier rarely let us leave the house once we became old enough. **

** He took extreme security measures. He would have only trusted House Elves buy and bring the food from stores. He warded the house to an extent that would make Gringotts look insecure. He never left us alone. Ever. But he ruthlessly put down anyone who asked for either of our hands in marriage. This earned him great respect, for standing up for choice. **

** When Cheval died, a large portion of the French Progressive Movement died too. Sometimes, he was the only thing that kept Magical France from falling back into the Dark Ages. So that's my story."**

Harry took a swig from his champagne, " **Interesting. I'll be honest, everyone should know my story by now. Voldemort kills my parents over some dumbass prophecy. Get raised by hateful Muggles. Come to Hogwarts desperate for sanctuary. Make some friends. Witness tragedy. Friends betray you. Then make new ones."**

** " Thank you Harry. It shames us that we have come to rely on you so much. I shudder to think what would happen without you to lead us, Harry."**

Harry frowned, " **The possibility of you finding out is not gone. Not to be depressing, but it is a very real possibility."**

** " I know, but it's something most of us just aren't comfortable thinking about. Not even Hermione Granger. What happened between you two anyway?"**

Harry laughed, " **I wondered when someone was ever going to ask me that. You know, I honestly think I was falling in love with her when the whole fiasco occurred. Of course, that was a rude awakening to a good deal many things. I was so angry, and somewhat heartbroken. But I got over it. I took that as a sign that I wasn't really in love with her. I don't know, but my emotions are easy to read."**

** " So, you just got over it. Never forgave, but forgotten yes?"**

Harry nodded with a sly smile, " **Don't worry, I hold it over her and Ginny's heads. Funny enough, we never found Ron after the Fall of Hogwarts. I wonder what happened to him?"**

** " Well, we were rather busy. Maybe he snuck off?"**

** " Likely, sneaky weasel."**

Guillaume asked, " **Why nothing for Lenore though? Something I've always wondered. You shut father down so many times."**

Harry fiddled the chain that Lenore had given him, " **Something about it doesn't seem right. Lenore doesn't seem right. Even before the Dark Lord thing."**

Guillaume simply nodded, got up, and thanked Harry for the drinks. Harry shouted back at him, " **Regrets are best left unspoken you know?"**

Days Later…..

" What do you mean you can't help me anymore?"

Varrac shrugged, " We don't have the man power or machinery to help you anymore Harry. Remember, there aren't exactly a lot of Dwarves left. We have to be careful!"

Guillaume watched passively from behind. Harry was getting angry. Really angry. Not a good sign. Harry shouldn't have been that affected by Varrac's departure, but then again, Harry made most of the plans in anticipation of the Dwarf's help. Sirius Black shouted, " Calm down, Harry. We can handle the Dark Lord without him."

" No we can't. The Dark Lord now commands dark creatures that magic cannot kill. We have to kill them the muggle way, and I don't think any of us here have a machine gun in their possession."

Sirius shuddered, " We can arrange that you know."

" Well, how long will it take?"

Sirius thought for a moment, " A few months at least."

" Too long! We have to strike now, before Voldemort can get a foothold here and really start to harass us!"

Varrac shouted, " Listen, I'm sorry I can't help anymore than I can, it's just that we aren't as numerous as we once were, and I won't risk my race for a topsider's problem!"

Harry seemed to boil over with anger then, " If I can't have my army, then I will just create one then!"

Before anyone could stop him, Harry vanished into thin air. Guillaume said calmly, " Well, 'Arry can create his army if he wishes. But can he control it? Zat is ze question."

Most everyone was stricken at Harry's declaration. Guillaume turned to them, " Listen! All of you! It is a very real possibility zat ze next time we see 'Arry, he will not be ze same! 'E will likely be in control of an army of spirits and daemons! Thus, he will be vastly different! If any of you 'ave ever wondered how Azurial Crystallux killed so many, he summoned daemons to carry out his assassinations!"

45-456-56-74-68-9-9-6-7-35-2-7-8-8-7-56-46-73-5-6-64-5-65-63-47-756-7-56-5-645-64-56-56-56345635

( Harry Unknown Location)

" _**Come forth! Pride daemon of the fade! Come forth and serve thy master!"**_

A massive, spiked monster appeared out of the ether, and sank down on a knew before Harry Potter. The creature reared its massive head and grunted out, " _**Name thee who hast summoned Wrymme, Daemon of Pride."**_

Harry knew better than give his name. Names were power when dealing with daemons, " _**You will not have the privilege of knowing my name, Prideful One. Join you're brethren."**_

_** " Yes, Nameless Master."**_

__Harry motioned for the Sloth daemons to bring forth his prisoners. Harry caressed Lavender Brown's terrified face with his hand, " Do not fear, my dear. When this battle is over, you will regain your body with no side effects."

Harry turned to a small portal rising out of the book Starfall, " _**Lust! Come forth and claim this body! Transform it into Abomination!"**_

_**" Yes Master."**_

Harry ignored the scream of pain as Lavender, the Gryffindor whore, was transformed into a magnificent fighting machine. He hadn't lied when he said he could create his own army. He ordered, " _**Join the others, Lust."**_

_** " Yes, Nameless One."**_

__Harry smirked. A summoner didn't need an army. He could always create one. Harry was both a Soul and a Spirit mage, and thus, he could easily summon. The interesting thing? He was both asleep and awake at the same time. He had split his conscious. One side remained to bring the spirits to the portal, and the other stayed awake to consign the spirits to the bodies brought for them.

Only the most powerful spirits and daemons, namely those of Justice and Vengeance for the Spirits, and Pride and desire for the daemons, could maintain a form outside of the Spirit/Daemon realms. After all, being mortal enemies, they had to reside on separate plains and firmaments. The deeper one went, higher or lower, the more powerful the spirits or daemons, respectively, you could find. Of course, the added risk of being possessed was a big time deterrent for most people. You also didn't want to go so far as to reach the " Other Worlds" where the Gods of the universe ( And Daemons) fight their wars. Do that, and you might just get stuck.

You didn't want to get stuck in a world of forces that were thousands of times stronger than you. Harry knew this from experience, and had only been saved by the enigma that is the Watcher. Even now, Harry was no closer to cracking the ebon black armor that surrounded his golden eyes than he had been five years ago. But Harry strongly suspected that it had been the Watcher that told Cheval about his Soul and Spirit Magic. Harry knew there was no such thing as coincidences in a realm were daemons not only could possess you, but actively fought over the right to do so.

The Daemon, Gaxkang, had told Harry about the tournaments between BOTH daemons AND Spirits over who would be allowed to possess him if he accidently pushed too far. He was a commodity, but most Daemons and Spirits also acknowledged that Harry's mind was too powerful for them to possess unless he wanted them too. Even then, he could expel them. He had done it before. After the World Cup accident, he allowed a Rage Daemon to temporarily possess him. In doing so, he pretty much destroyed a multi-million galleon stadium, caused a century's worth of damage to the Gringotts' warding system, and busted through Anti-Apparation wards like they didn't exist.

And that was with one of the weakest types of Daemons possessing him. If he used a Desire daemon or Justice Spirit, or heaven forbid, Vengeance Spirit or Pride Daemon, then the results could be catastrophic. That was when restraint was going to come in to play.

Harry knew that his old vents of Hermione, Ginny, and Ron wouldn't be enough to contain the excess power and emotion he would gain from allowing Gaxkang to possess him. He had heard from Sirius the tale of how the amplified emotions from not only his own titanic rage, but the daemon as well had almost killed them. If he tried to use it on them now, then Gaxkang would likely destroy them.

Reading through the book, Starfall, Harry found four crystals specially designed to contain emotions. With the four crystals, and his Human vents, Harry should be able to keep it all in control. Whilst doing so, he would be able to wield the power of a Daemon while using his human abilities as well. Using the arts, he created three more crystals to act as backups just in case. Lord knows, he couldn't lose control on the battlefield. That would be horrendous.

Harry watched as the last of the prisoners who hadn't surrendered from the Battle of Hogwarts were forcefully possessed. This was his army. His fighting force. Now, he just needed to get to Nurmengard.

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( Back At Potter Fortress)

" So, let me get this straight Guillaume. Harry's special power, as dictated by the Prophecy, is an extremely rare ability known as Dual Summoning? Pardon me, but this seems strange."

Guillaume glared, " It isn't zat simple . It is also ze Arts surround Dual Summoning as well, known as Soul and Spirit Magic. My family apparently has a history of Soul and Spirit Mages, so we had ze information to access for zis. Using ze magic of the Soul and Spirit,' Arry can summon vastly powerful Daemons and Spirits to do battle for him. An example of Soul Magic is the Winter of Souls that my father used at 'Ogwarts."

Sirius remembered that uncomfortable spell vividly. How Chevalier had chanted for neigh on two minutes, an eternity in a duel, and then the wintry winds slicing through his very soul. Then the red spirits rising to attack Dumbledore….

Guillaume smiled, " You remember don't you?"

Sirius did, " I do. It is…frightening at best, but I think I can deal with it."

Guillaume chuckled, " If 'Arry is summoning Daemons, then it will be ten times worse when we show up at Nurmengard. My father only told me a little of his magic once it became apparent I would not be powerful enough to learn it. But ze one zing he did tell me, was zat you must not interfere with a Summoner in the middle of an action. To do so is most unwise."

Lenore asked, " Brother? Why is zat?"

" Because to do so may result in the unleashing of a Daemon or Spirit that cannot be controlled. Cheval told me that after a Summoner has Summoned a Spirit or Daemon, he permanently has control and power over that Daemon or Spirit. I shudder to wonder what he has done with the prisoners who didn't surrender to him at Hogwarts."

" Why?"

Guillaume glared at Remus, " Because Cheval said that Harry was the most powerful Summoner he had ever seen. That includes the woman who taught him. It is possible he may have found a way to force Daemons to possess those with less open minds. Doing so may have absolutely irreversible effects if Harry isn't powerful enough to force them out. There is one step up from that though. Harry may allow a Daemon or Spirit to possess him to gain more power. This is….the point of no return. If he does this, than we have no choice but to remove him."

Sirius blanched, " Remove him?"

" It means kill him. My father had only one thing in his Will besides that he left everything to me and Lenore. ' If Harry Potter should fall to the darkness, then he must be killed before he destroys the world. For he is a greater threat, whether he knows it or not, than Voldemort, Dumbledore, or anyone else has or ever will be.' "

There was silence to these words. Sirius asked, " Cheval really thought that Harry was more dangerous than Dumbledore or Voldemort?"

Snape answered up, " Dumbledore was a manipulative nutcase and Voldemort is a myriad of things, namely a Necromancer as a hobby, but none of them possess an ability that would be so dangerous as to force a daemonic entity into a living vessel. Necromancers can't do this. But Summoners are different."

Lenore spoke for the first time, " Zere is no one on zis planet who probably has a more intimate knowledge of such matters as 'Arry. I don't think any of us are comfortable with ze notion za 'Arry may be dangerous. But if it is necessary, zen we must do it."

Sirius paled further, " You two sound more like Dumbledore than I ever would have thought possible. Especially from a woman who was almost killed, then kidnapped and tortured, almost made pregnant by a snake man, because of Dumbledore. If anything, you should be willing to follow Harry to the gates of hell and back."

Everyone got a little uneasy after Sirius pointed this out. Like some sort of spell was broken, everyone started shouting angrily at each other over how they could believe something like that? Just then, they all noticed some movement behind Sirius, and a green Killing Curse flew out. It narrowly missed Sirius, and several others. Varrac shouted, " Let me get him!"

He fired a small, charged arrow at the shadows. A loud " Oomph" was heard, and Neville Longbottom fell out of the shadows. Guillaume hissed, " Well look what we 'ave 'ere boys?"

Ron came running in, " Neville's here! He's going to….oh I see you found him."

Half the room turned to Ron, and another half kept their eyes tuned to Neville. Hermione shouted, " RON! YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF NERVE!"

Sirius placed a blocking hand on Hermione, " Hold your fire, Granger! We need some answers! Ron!"

" Yes?"

Sirius grabbed Ron, and slung him against the wall, " You know you've got a lot of nerve to walk right into the enemy HQ right?"

Ron held his hands up in surrender, " H-H-Hey, not all of this is my fault ok? I didn't even know about this place until Neville said something about attacking Potter Fortress. I followed him, and here I am."

Sirius huffed, " We really need to fix whatever's wrong with the Fidelus Charm on this place. Second time in three weeks this is."

Ron spoke up, " Dumbledore said that he had bribed a Cursebreaker via Bill to implant a worm in the wards so that they won't totally conceal this place. He told me about it once he found out that someone named James Evans had bought the Car Dealership that Dumbledore had started on the Potter land. Seems like all of Harry's aliases were rather obvious. And he really needs to learn to conceal his eyes."

Everyone sighed. Sirius asked, " Can we get that fixed? It wouldn't do to have a bunch of Death Eaters apparate in here while we're sleeping."

Ron sent a Patronus Message to his oldest brother to come get the wards fixed, but that was about all that everyone let him do. Ron hesitantly asked, " So, uh, where's Harry?"

Sirius answered suavely, " Summoning sex daemons because his wives aren't good enough why?"

Everyone laughed at Ron's face. He was pale as a ghost on a beach.

A/N: As you can probably guess, I'm starting to wrap up some of the unknowns in this story, and I'm running towards the end here. I expect three, maybe four more chapters, excluding an epilogue ( which there will be one).

Next Chapter: War of Wrath

Summoner: This is probably about the fifth time I've changed some aspect of Harry's Ultimate ability that will win this war for him, but at least they still all use his emotions right?

Possession: I tweaked the Possession so that someone with a powerful mind/will would be able to throw it off, even after already being possessed. This can extend to other people. Like the Imperious Curse.

The Daemon Names: All those Daemon names come from Dragon Age ( Either Origins or 2)

Gaxkang: Dragon Age: Origins ( Quest: The Unbound)

Wrymme: Dragon Age 2 ( Quest: Night Terrors)

Caress: Dragon Age 2 ( Quest: Night Terrors)

The Daemon and Spirit Classes also come from the DA universe.

The Watcher is an OC "God" you might say. Keep in mind that he is rather enigmatic at this point. A reader might want to read the part in my profile where I say I'm unafraid of perfect characters as enemies. To me, it affirms the power of an imperfect character if he can defeat a perfect character.


	14. Chapter 14 War of Wrath

Chapter 13 The War of Wrath

_**" Daemonic"**_

_" All hope is gone but I swear revenge_…" The Curse of Feanor, Blind Guardian, _Nightfall in Middle Earth._

_" Deep in his castle he said, ' All land be mine, that's one thing for sure. The Triumph of shadow is near!' Deep in his castle they sang, ' We shall not rest until all will be thine, all land is thine, you can be sure….'" _A Dark Passage, Blind Guardian, _Nightfall in Middle Earth._

Harry looked at the abomination commander in front of him, " _**Are we ready?"**_

_** " Yes, Nameless Master. The Army of Death is ready to march."**_

__Harry turned to a giant apparatus he had found in the Royeaux Mausoleum. It was an artifact of great power and utility. It was called the Mirror of Light. It could show him, and teleport him to anywhere in the world, so long as he knew the name. Even if it were under the Fidelus and other wards.

Harry shouted, " Mirror! Show me Nurmengard!"

The Mirror began to darken. In the center, an image began to appear. At first, it looked like the entrance to one of those Nazi Death Camps, but upon close inspection, there was a giant tower in the center. It looked eerily like an obelisk. Harry could see strange creatures roaming the grounds. This only confirmed his fears that Voldemort had used Necromancy to resurrect those who had died fighting against Grindelwald.

Harry turned away from the mirror, and gathered his army in the large, Summoner's Circle in the room. They were only about a hundred strong, but each abomination was strong enough to fight off entire armies of Muggles. Then the daemons and spirits who could hold form were even more powerful.

Harry pointed his blood wand at the Mirror, " Take Me!"

Energy gathered around the army and Harry. A blinding flash later, and no one remained in the secret room.

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( Sirius)

" So you know where Nurmengard is?"

Guillaume glared at Sirius, " Of course I do! Everyone who lives in main continent Europe does. Just a matter of getting in."

Sirius frowned, " So that means we can just walk up to the general area?"

" If you want to die, zen yes. If not, zen no. We must find how 'Arry managed to get there."

Sirius was about to ask another question, when Lenore came running up, shouting, " A door in ze basement 'as opened ! Zere is some type of mirror in it!"

Sirius motioned for her to guide them down. When they entered the chamber, they were greeted by a spectacular sight. A massive pentagram with several pillars surrounding it sat in the middle of the room. Roughly a hundred feet from it, was the mirror Lenore had been talking about. Guillaume walked up, and examined the etchings on it. He muttered, " I truly 'ave no idea what zis is, or how it works."

Sirius joked, " Well, I think Harry used it to style his hair this morning."

Both Lenore and Guillaume hit Sirius with a Snape class glare. He figured his joke hadn't gone over very well. Hermione followed them in, and took a few looks at the mirror at Sirius' behest. She examined the runes on the inside. After about fifty minutes, she stood up. Sirius asked, " Well?"

" It appears to be a mirror used for teleportation over insane distances. The magic it uses is distinctively different than the magic used for Apparation or even the magic Harry uses for that little Star Fall portal of his. No wards can stand it, because it seems to completely disassemble those that use it, literally teleporting them in a sub-atomic state that bypasses any and all warding. Like those within become pure energy, but that defies several Thermodynamic laws."

Sirius smiled, " Hermione, we don't need the physics and chemistry behind why this shouldn't happen, because Magic has a nice way of defying the laws of science nicely. Any idea how to use it?"

" Harry used some sort of key for it. Something that appears to be called the Blood Drinker. I don't think he would have left it here. If it has enough energy, than anything may be used as the key. That's my theory."

Guillaume frowned, " The Blood Drinker must have been Harry's wand. The ruby one. The one that absorbs blood. I knew that wand was powerful, but I can't help but think it will serve an even greater part in this final battle."

Lenore muttered, " We don't have anything 'ere zat could fuel the mirror if it required his Blood wand. He spent years giving blood to zat zing."

Guillaume darkened, " The wand uses complex blood magic. Thus, zis mirror uses ze same magic. Zere is a ritual I know of zat would power it. But it would take a loss of life to fuel it."

Hermione screeched, " A Blood Ritual? A Ritual Sacrifice? Do you have any idea how horrible that sounds?"

Guillaume calmly explained, " Blood magic, while illegal, is widely used on ze dueling circuits to get an advantage over rookies who tend to try and win by drawing blood. So I learned it. I can perform ze ritual, but is anyone willing?"

Lenore spoke up, " Zat may not be necessary. Look what I have found,", she held up a glittering red crystal that Harry had put a label on. Fittingly, it said, " To anyone who would follow me, use this as the key."

Hermione was instantly skeptical, " I honestly don't believe Harry would make it that easy on us. But I imagine it can't hurt to try."

Hermione took the crystal, and placed it on the threshold of the mirror. Instantly, the Mirror's blue surface began to glow golden. Sirius shouted, " Go get the others!"

" I'm coming too."

Sirius turned and saw Ron walking up. Sirius pulled a Snape sneer, " And what makes you think you would be of use on this battlefield?"

" I don't care anymore! I fucked my own life up and I know it. At least, if I die here, I die with honor. I can't allow myself to go slink away while everyone else does all the work."

Sirius was slightly impressed by Ron's offer to go to battle, " Very well. You will join us then. Get ready boys!"

After everyone had gathered, Hermione pointed her wand at the Mirror, shouting, " Show me Nurmengard!"

The mirror's image changed to a large, obelisk like tower guarded by hordes of undead creatures and decrepit walls. To the east, a strange force of what looked like human mutations, was advancing upon the walls. Hermione almost fell out when she saw one of the abominations tore through the walls, and ripped a human in two. Sirius shouted, " Hermione! We don't have all day!"

She nodded, intoning to the mirror, " Take Me!"

A large blue beam of light fired from the mirror, and they all blinked out.

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( Dark Lord)

" What do you mean we're under attack?"

Peter shivered a tad, " It's Potter! He's leading some army of daemons at us!"

" Curses, that means Potter figures to overwhelm me with something even I've never fought before. Prepare the Liches for battle."

Peter bowed, " Yes milord!"

The Dark Lord stood up from his dark throne, and hissed to his Wyrm to begin preparations. It was time to show Potter who was the real deal. He began his ascension up his tower, triggering various defense systems that even daemons wouldn't be able to penetrate.

Peter stalked his way to the bottom floor, where the living Death Eaters awaited his command. He knew that it wasn't likely he was going to be able to walk away from this battle, this final fight that would likely claim the lives of hundreds. But this was what he had always wanted. To be the leader. To be the one in command, instead of one of the mindless followers!

Peter stood at a slightly raised dais above the Death Eaters gathered, " My fellow Death Eaters! This day we go to war for the final time! For this day, Potter has come to our doorstep, and he isn't just knocking, he's banging the fucking door down! We are all prepared for death, no matter what. But we must ensure that our Dark Lord is victorius! No matter the cost, no matter the means. We must win today! We must, or we shall die trying! To battle!"

A loud cheer shot up from the five hundred assembled Death Eaters, ranging from British Pureblood Elite, down to German mercenaries. The Japanese Mercs that Peter had hired were already standing the walls, and taking heavy casualties. One of the remaining British Death Eaters, Jugson shouted, " Potter's forces have breached the walls and are advancing upon the main compound! Tanemune's forces are in last stand mode, but they won't last!"

Peter cursed. Neither he nor the Dark Lord had expected Potter to be able to field such a powerful army so soon after the Hogwarts battle that had proven more difficult than expected. The Dark Lord had laughed loudly and for many moments when he had heard of Dumbledore's last stand. But this could only mean that Potter was desperate for an end to the war, and that he wasn't patient enough to wait for his normal troops to replenish. If there were anyone who could pledge whole support in Britain that is….

Macnair shouted, " Peter! The enemy is on the approach!"

Peter dashed to the window on the balcony. He found a sight that filled his mind with fear, even after his own speech. Harry Potter was marching on the fortress with blade in one hand, and wand in the other. And behind him, marched an army of hideous abominations and demonic entities that made Peter want to vomit.

Deep in his heart, Peter had always sort of respected Harry Potter for being everything he wasn't, unlike Ron Weasley, who was just jealous. But this was striking. Not even the Dark Lord had ever attempted this sort of….

That's when the walls exploded on the bottom floor, and the gates came crashing open…

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( Harry)

Harry was the first one in, using the Sword of Gryffindor as both a limited wand and an offensive weapon. His Blood drinker wand glittered eerily in the darkness, absorbing the blood of those he had to fight through. He deeply regretted all of those who had died at Hogwarts, seeing them as needless deaths, but he was more than happy to kill Death Eaters. Such foul kind deserved the death he was more than happy to give.

Harry spun around, slinging a Fire Whip from his blood wand, and burning the hands off of two of the vanguard Death Eaters. He lowered his head as an Avada Kedavra flew near his head. He weaved between another set, leaving a wake of destruction. In his mind, Gaxkang asked, " _**So where's this Voldemort guy at?"**_

_** " Voldemort is likely at the very top of the tower. We have a long way to go. I've heard rumors that Voldemort has used some necromantic magic to create monsters that are immune to magic."**_

_** " Ah, those would be Liches. Put a blade to their neck, and they fall easy enough. But if we run across a Lich King, now that might be problematic."**_

__Harry saw an opening in the combat, and made his way towards the second floor stair case. No sooner did he enter the second floor, did the entire atmosphere of the fortress completely change. The thrill of combat was gone, instead, it was replaced by dread. The stones that made up the fortress were jet black, even on the inside. Small, green torches glimmered in the distance, but they did little to light the way. In fact, they seemed to suck the light out of the place. Harry muttered Lumos, and continued along.

It wasn't long before he encountered the first fruits of Voldemort's necromancy. Inferi came in droves. And he didn't mean little packs. Big ones. Harry hissed, " Fuck,", upon finding himself backed into a corner. He turned around, flourishing his wand, shouting, " _Flama Iaculis!"_

Gouts of flame shot forth in a cone pattern from his wand, burning the Inferi nearest to him into piles of smoldering ash, and driving those near the back, further away. Harry smiled, and whispered, " _Augue,",_ while pointing his wand at his hand. He was now carrying a fireball in his hand.

Using the fireball as a threat, Harry successfully negotiated the second floor. But his tasks were only going to get harder, as he found that Voldemort had decided to channel his inner Hermione, and had set up a large puzzle of some sort for him to figure out.

Several monstrosities that not even Gaxkang had a name for were sitting in rudimentary cages. The instructions were as follows:

_The Dark Lord has several creatures he wants to keep contained. But the creatures are immensely jealous of each other, and must be kept in the same size cages. The cages cannot be connected. If the Dark Lord has eleven sections of fencing for the cages, how can he fence four? Take care challenger, for failing this challenge has very real consequences._

Harry pondered for a moment, before walking up to the pedestal. The instruments and models on the pedestal were an exact model of the challenge. It was then, that he noticed that he only had a minute to figure this out, and that he had wasted twenty seconds already.

Trying to qualm the rush of panic that flooded his body, he immediately ran through scenarios. He began to rearrange the fencing without even noticing. Just before the timer went off, a strange pinging sound went off, the sound you hear when Mario gets a 1-Up. He felt relieved when he saw the cages swing shut, and the monsters went back to sleep.

Harry marched his way into the next room, and found himself faced with an artificial hedge maze much like the one he had faced back in Fourth Year. Luckily, this one wasn't inhabited by a variety of creatures that Dumbledore thought a seventh year ought to be able to face. Unfortunately, it was LOADED with monsters that no man should ever see. Ever.

Near the end of the maze, Harry came across the monster that the Death Eaters took their name from. A snake like creature who's head looks like a human skull, and is a carrion eater. But it isn't afraid to kill for food either. Harry took care of it in a hurry. One slash with Gryffindor's sword, and the head was rolling away.

The fourth floor was where things began to get interesting. Here, Harry found the Liches. Gaxkang muttered in his mind, " _**Master , remember that these things are immune to magic. You may as well put that wand away."**_

__Harry followed the daemon's advice, and slid his Blood wand into his holster. He drew Gryffindor's sword from his back, and set himself into a parrying stance. He felt the air hiss near him, and he moved aside instinctively. A large puddle of acid was eating away at the stones where he was standing a few moments before. He thought, _No way, these damn things can use magic, but are also immune to it?_

_**" Liches are Wizards and witches who have been brought back to half-life by a Necromancer. However, they aren't self-sustaining, and there should be a crystal of some sorts nearby that controls the energy they need to stay animated. Keep in mind that even though they are easier to slay than normal undead with a blade, unless that blade has traces of certain elements, the damage will not be permanent. If I remember correctly, you said that blade has somehow been imbued with Basilisk venom. That will do the trick."**_

__Harry nodded as he dodged what looked like a slower version of a stunner . One thing he had on his side for certain, was the speed of the living. Harry dashed forward, and loped the head off of a Lich. When it fell to the ground, he thrust the sword into its chest just to make sure it stayed dead. Harry quickly leapt away as the corpse exploded, sending some foul, green substance into the air.

"_**Avoid that ooze at all costs. It's absolutely lethal to the living. Only creatures with EXTREMELY high magic resistance can even handle a few breaths. Keep moving."**_

Harry found himself running constantly, trying to avoid the Liches, and dodge their sluggish spells. All the while, he was looking out for a crystal. Then he found it. The crystal was black, no other color could describe it. Like it was trying to suck the life out of anything near it. Harry, conscious of his limited space, smashed the flat of the blade against the crystal. It shattered instantly.

The effect was immediate. All the Liches fell to the floor, moaning at first, but eventually, they all fell still. Harry breathed a sigh of relief, holding the sword of Gryffindor in the air in triumph. That's when he noticed it. The small slot in the ruby of the pommel.

Harry took out his Blood Wand, and compared it's hue to the ruby of the blade. They were exactly the same. He took the wand, and held it over the slot. It was just the right size. He slid the wand into the slot. The blade began to vibrate.

To his amazement, the sword burst into flames. A shaft of rotating fire sheathed the sword, radiating heat and light, giving out a sense of nobility and comfort. He gazed at the flames silently for a few moments, before slashing the sword. It felt lighter than before. He smiled. Time for business to be taken care of. Harry didn't know how many more floors he had to, but he couldn't wait to face Voldemort at the end.

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( Sirius)

" Moony! Get your head down! "

Sirius ducked beneath an over turned table to hide from a curse. He poked his head up, and returned fire. Moody shouted, " They've got the higher ground! We can't get anywhere here!"

Sirius flinched as the former Auror went down. Moony shouted, " Someone get Alastor out of here! We can't be letting you guys die on us!"

Snape shouted back, " We're pinned! I can't even get my head up!"

Sirius cursed, but suddenly, the fire stopped. He poked his head up, and saw the Death Eaters running. Guillaume came running up out of cover, " Siri! Zey are falling back. But 'Arry's daemons are responsible. Zey are in complete control of ze first floor. We won't be able to enter."

Sirius shouted, " I will get there! No matter what, I will be there for the final battle!"

Ron shouted yelled, " I guess my time's up. If you need a distraction, then I'll volunteer."

" I'll go too."

Everyone turned to see Neville, who they'd forgotten had come along as well. Fred and George perked up, " We go as well."

Snape sneered, " Well, I can't be letting you four hog all the glory. This Snake is shriveled up and ready to die. I'm unafraid."

Moody growled after being awoken by Ginny, " I'm going into this assault too. These old bones got just enough left in them for a blaze of glory the likes of which I've never seen. "

Guillaume turned to Sirius, " I will go with you and Remus. 'Arry may need my help in a way zat only I can provide. Sometimes, Soul Users can only be healed with blood magic. "

Hermione asked, " What about me and Ginny?"

Sirius replied with his own question, " Where would you like to go? "

Ginny and Hermione looked at each other. Hermione answered, " I want to go with Sirius,", while Ginny answered, " I stand with my brothers."

Some other members came into the discussion. The original Order of the Blacks would be heading to the top, led by Lord Black himself. Flitwick decided to stand with the others. Sirius felt a vague warm feeling in his heart. Like he had been born for this moment, to storm that dark tower, and bring forth a victory that would change the Wizarding World.

Sirius spoke to the crowd, " This is a great day for the Wizarding World. This is the day that shall never be forgotten. Today, the World Changes. Today, a world ends, and a new one is born! One that our children may grow up without fear of a Dark Lord, or a Light Lord masquerading in shadows! Today marks the end of the old, and the beginning of the new!

Today, we fight not just for our future, but the future of the generations ahead of us! But we don't just fight for honor, for glory, for the future. We also fight for vengeance! Vengeance against a Dark Lord who wrongly believed that the world was his apple. A maniac who slaughtered for no reason, who mercilessly killed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of people. Today, we see his end, and the rising of a glorious new era!

We fight for our children, and their children, and their children's children! We fight for the right to be able to grow up, and have any dream they please. To not grow up in the shadow of a Dark Lord. To not have to live in fear, to not have to lay down at night with hasty prayers that someone didn't rat you out.

So join me this one last time my friends. Join me this one last time as we remember the past wrongs, and swear to avenge them. As we remember exactly why we are here, and why this should have been done long ago. Today we fight for the Greater Good. Not Dumbledore's Greater Good, not Harry's Greater Good. Today, we fight for the Greater Good of Mankind.

Know my friends, that this may be the last time some of us see each other alive. Do not go into this final fight with your head hung low. Instead, hold it high, and keep your eyes fixed on the sun! Keep your eyes fixed on the days ahead!

Don't mourn the dead, for one day, we shall all join them. There is no such thing as immortality. All men must die one day, it is unavoidable. Tolkien calls it the Gift of Man. We have the ability to leave this mortal coil behind, and move on to wherever the Creator awaits. So do not fear death. Instead, embrace it with open arms! Walk hand and hand into that lonely night, and you shall be awarded.

I fought for a dream before. I can stand beside ideals I think are right. And I can stand beside the idea to stand and fight. I believe there is a dream for everyone. This is our world. These are our lives! This is our world! If you don't believe me, then look around! Carnage that we ourselves have wracked upon this beautiful world. It is the duty and diligence of the strong that keep this from happening!

I hope that history remembers us for many things, most important being that we defeat Voldemort this day. But I also want this to be the point that destroys all the barriers in the Wizarding World! Be they Pureblood, Half-Blood, or Muggleborn, human or non-human, I want history to remember this force and all who are in it. So I have taken the liberty of creating something for posterity. I want you all to sign it, with your full name, blood status, human status, and job. I want the world to remember, that this was not the work of just Purebloods, or just humans! This was a collaborative effort between the races!

Now my friends, join me this time. This one last time. Cheer with me! For a Better Future! For the Greater Good! For Victory!"


	15. Chapter 15 The Final Battle

Chapter 14 The Final Battle

"_Can you imagine a time when the truth went free? The birth of a song? The death of a dream? Closer to the Edge." Closer to the Edge,_ 30 Seconds to Mars, " This is War"

" _The highway's jammed with broken heroes on a last chance powerdrive. Everybody's out on the road tonight, but there's no place left to hide." Born To Run. _Bruce Springsteen. " Born to Run"

" _Take my hand this one last time. Face the world before us, the warrior inside…_" The Warrior Inside, DragonForce. " Ultra Beatdown"

Ron took out a large clothe, and rolled it out. Inside, were eleven ornate daggers. Each blade was emerald green, with a ruby set in the hilt. He picked each one up. He explained, " The next person to touch the dagger will be bonded to it. The runes on the blade shall reform into that person's name, and a suitable epithet for them. Who wants the first?"

Snape surprisingly volunteered, " I'll do it,", and took the dagger from Ron. He felt it sizzle in his hand, and the runes on the blade reformed. Hermione read the inscription, " Severus Tobias Snape: The Snake Reborn"

Ron handed the next one to Moody. His was, " Alastor Moody: The Ever Vigilant"

The third went to Ginny, " Ginevra Molly Weasley: The Fiery Servant."

Fourth was Fred, " Frederick Weasley: Part One of Two."

Fifth was George, " George Weasley: Part Two of One."

Ron showed them his own, " Ronald Billius Weasley: The Redeemed."

Neville took his, " Neville Hadrada Longbottom: Loyal to the End."

Flitwick grabbed one, remarking the Goblin Craftsmanship, " Fillus Flitwick: Excelsior"

Fleur took hers, " Fleur Marie Delacour: Angel amongst Furies"

Ron handed one to Kingsley, " Kingsley Shacklebolt: The Exemplar."

The second to last went to Simone Weasley, who had come despite her brother's anger, " Simone Weasley: French Fire"

Ron smiled at everyone, " Do you guys like? I gave the twelfth one to Hermione before we came here. So, are we ready for this?"

Moody muttered, " Send up the signal."

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( Sirius)

Sirius smiled as Ron's signal, a large Phoenix, rose into the air. Sirius shouted, " Alright guys! Let us begin!"

Sirius' strike force consisted of the original Black Order, plus Lenore, Guillaume, and Hermione. Hopefully, they would be able to get their way to Harry in enough time to help him. Sirius saw Ron's force engage the warring Daemons and Death Eaters, forcing a triple front battle. He was impressed to see Ron and Neville leading the charge, holding the shields to protect everyone else. Sirius smirked, and began to direct them towards the outskirts of the battle.

The trip was longer than need be, due mainly to the bad state of the ground. Everyone had to discard their robes, and continue onward in Muggle Clothing. But they finally reached the tower itself. Sirius muttered, " This is it people. Today, the age of man comes crashing down, and a Golden Age begins!"

Remus took the opportunity to take a look at Sirius' wand, and noticed that it was pure white for some reason.

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( Harry)

Harry stood outside of the giant doors. _So this is it?_ He thought disdainfully. He had to steel himself for whatever was behind that door. God himself probably didn't know what horrors Voldemort had prepared for him. He drew the Sword of Gryffindor, and reveled in its glorious flame. He drew the Diamond Wand out of its brace, and took it in his left hand.

_Here we go…_Harry thought as he pressed the doors open. The throne room was massive, clearly Grindelwald and Voldemort had a sense of grandeur that could only be described as maniacal. The room was filled with giant green and silver banners bearing the Slytherin Serpent, and statues of Dark Lords dotted the hall. Far down, Harry could see a large, black throne rising from the floor.

" So, my young Serpent, you have come."

Harry hissed, " Tom."

The thing formerly known as Tom Riddle rose from his dark throne, " This is the day that you and I enthrone darkness triumphant. Because no matter who wins this battle, the Darkness shall claim all."

" You know not what you speak of, Tom. I may wield the powers of darkness, but it is the Light that guides my hand."

Riddle smirked, " Many others have claimed that as well. Myself, Dumbledore, Grindelwald just to name a few. Would you add your name to that glorious list?"

" That list isn't glorious. If anything, it's a list of inglorious bastards at best."

Riddle sneered back, " I'm so glad you think so, Serpent."

He reached behind his throne, " I see you use the Sword of Gryffindor. Did you not think that Salazar wouldn't have a weapon of his own? He had to fight Gryffindor with something."

He pulled out a long polearm in the naginata design, with small spikes near the top of the shaft. " This is Salazar's scythe. The actual Slytherin sword is the blade strapped on at the top. The rest is just my add-ons. It functions more as a staff than a muggle style spear."

Harry laughed, " So what you going to do? Carve me up using a spear it looks like you struggle to pick up?"

Riddle's smile faded a little, " Of course not, Serpent. That's what I have this for!"

Harry recognized Parseltongue, and immediately, the throne room began to shake. Harry watched as the giant Slytherin Emblem on the floor began to slide open. He felt the same mixture of fear and foreboding that he had back in the Chamber of Secrets.

The monstrosity that crawled out was a thousand times as terrifying as the Basilisk from the Chamber. To say it was huge would be an understatement. Harry immediately understood why the throne room was so large. Something had to contain this beast. Gaxkang informed him, sounding kind of panicked, " _**Master, that's a Death Wyrm! I-I-I've never seen a Human in command of one, and it has been millennia in the Spirit/Daemonic Planes since I last saw one! And it was a tiny thing compared to this….beast."**_

_** " Can you give me some tactical information? Damn that thing's big, still lengths of its tail coming out! It must be almost five hundred feet long!"**_

_** " Such a corruption of all that is both holy and evil must not be allowed to continue its existence. This throne room is huge, so I assume that Grindelwald had a lot more followers than Voldemort, and given the time period, I would probably be right. But even this room isn't big enough for the snake to stretch out all the way. Use your mobility to your advantage. It doesn't have the Killer Eyes, but it's venom can melt through anything, and I mean ANYTHING."**_

__Harry nodded. Finally, it seemed as though the creature had emerged. It let out an unearthly hiss that caused the windows to crack. Harry braced himself. This was going to be a rough fight.

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( Sirius)

" What the hell are you? You look like all the pictures of Grindelwald,", Sirius asked as he was held in contempt by what seemed to be the reanimated body of Gellert Grindelwald.

" I am Lich King"

Apolline's eyes went wide, " Siri, this is bad!"

Sirius muttered out of the corner of his mouth, " Tell me about it. Liches are supposed to be immune to magic, but highly vulnerable to physical attacks. What about a king?"

Apolline narrowed her blue eyes, " I'm sorry Siri, but I must be ze one to fight zis monstrosity."

Sirius' eyes went open, " I can't all…."

" For old times sake Siri. Grindelwald's escaped followers killed my entire family except my mother a few years before I was born. It will do me pleasure to see his body ripped to shreds."

The Lich howled with laughter, " You dare think you can oppose me? I am Gellert Grindelwald! Greatest Wizard this world has ever known! Not even Dumbledore could kill me."

Sirius looked worried, but Apolline shouted, " Go Siri! Take ze others! I will be fine! I can handle zis wretch!"

Sirius nodded, before motioning them onward. He and the others ran hurriedly through the doorway, and slammed it shut. The door didn't completely muffle the sound of the fight below, and howls of pain sent shivers down everyone's spines. Sirius commented, looking slightly upset, " Let's go."

The next few obstacles were the same ones that Harry had faced, and Sirius fared even better than Harry, especially since he had some supporters with him. Guillaume had told him that Harry had gone it alone, though he was in possession of a daemon named Gaxkang. For some reason, that name scared the hell out of Guillaume, but he didn't say anything to the Royeaux.

Sirius came into the maze, " Great. A maze. I really, really, love mazes."

Guillaume frowned, " Be quiet, Siri, mazes are not so difficult."

Lenore muttered, " Zey are when zey are filled with monsters!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow, " Lenore's got a good point Guillaume."

" Lead ze way zen, oh great warrior."

Remus sighed, " Don't try to make his ego any bigger than it already is."

Sirius gave his best ego smile, " They don't need to worry about that."

SIrius heard Moony mutter faintly, " Padfoot's so conceited sometimes."

" I heard that."

Sirius heard Moony laughing, before ordering them forward into the maze. The first monster they came upon was one of those Blast Ended things that Hagrid had bred during Harry's Fourth Year. While it had seemed intimidating then, it was no match for those lined up against it. Lenore finished it with a neat blasting curse that went right through the chitinous outer shell.

The next monster was the typical sphinx. It's riddle was harder, but because everyone in the group had read the Hobbit, the Time riddle was easy to solve. It wasn't long before they were at the end of the maze.

The Fifth floor, five floors beneath Harry, was when they ran into the hordes of Inferi. Sirius shouted, " Remember! Fire Spells!"

Sirius cursed as he tried to get off his Flamethrower spell, but missed widely. He felt a slight sting when one of the zombies took a slice at him, but to his amazement, it did little damage. He barely bled at all.

The same couldn't be said of his cousin Narcissa. She howled in pain as one of the creature's razor talons ripped through her left thigh, leaving three large gashes. Sirius blased the Inferius away with a fireball, and examined the wound , " You'll live, but we need to get you somewhere safe. Otherwise, you will just be weighing us down."

Narcissa nodded, and Sirius levitated her up. Lupin shouted, " I've got a good place that's well out of reach of the Inferi!"

Sirius lifted Narcissa up onto the alcove, remarking, " Just keep a small fire going with your wand. Augue, Flamma Iaculis, and Incendio are good Anti-Inferius Spells that have low power upkeep. Just don't let them get too close, Cissy."

She nodded, and the crew soldiered onward, having lost a second member. But that would pale to the final challenge before entering the Throne Room.

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( Snape)

Severus Snape had been in a lot of battles. Lots, and hadn't always been on the winning side. But he knew one thing. Don't get pinned up in a corner. Unfortunately, that's exactly what he was stuck in right now. He was flinging Cutting Curses, Sectumsempra, and other worse curses everywhere. He hadn't a clue where all these Death Eaters had come from, but when he saw the man with the evil looking staff, he knew instantly what had happened.

Voldemort had a Necromancer. Necromancers raise the dead and can create utter monstrosities that should never have seen the light of day, but they are also great healers. Their knowledge of the Dark Arts allows them to heal someone even from the brink of death, even from a Blood Purger. The Blood Purger spell was in many ways more horrendous than the Avada Kedavra, because of the agony it inflicted while killing you. Like the Killing Curse, it was unblockable.

Snape knew right then that for them to have any chance at all, he was going to have to kill that Necromancer. He saw an opening in the enemy troops, and snuck forward. The Necromancer may as well have been Lucius Malfoy, because he was twice as arrogant as the blond prince, and was leaving himself wide open.

Snape smiled as he plunged the dagger deep into the man's throat, muttering, " Burn in hell. Say hi to Dumbledore and Voldemort for me."

Snape was able to get away before the idiot Death Eaters could find him. He found himself shaking his head from afar. The Death Eaters had really taken a step back these days.

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( Ron)

Ron dodged another series of curses, ignoring the pain in his shoulders and in his legs. He had already taken four cutting curses to his extremities, and frankly, was surprised he was even able to walk. He had been blasted back with Expelliarmus, he had been tortured with the Cruciatus, and he had been brused by Bludgeoning curses. He wasn't about to let the Death Eaters claim his sister as their whore.

Ron roared in anger, sending more and more curses, darker and darker, some he didn't even know how to properly cast, having just picked them up from Death Eaters. He turned a little and saw that Ginny had managed to crawl away. He didn't know what they had hit her with, but both of her legs were uselessly flung out in horrible angles.

He ducked under an AK, and sent one back. He was slightly winded, when suddenly, he heard a horn in the distance. He turned, a mistake really, and saw several squads of German Aurors, supported by French Aurors, advancing onto the field. Ron barely felt the Shattering curse that ruptured nearly every bone in his body. Yet he clung to life like the Gryffindor that he was. He conciliation prize was that he had gone down fighting. He was redeemed.

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( Sirius)

" What are these things,", Sirius howled as flesh eating bugs of some sort attacked them in massive swarms. Moony shouted, " I don't know! Use anything! Keep running!"

Sirius heard a small scream, and saw that one of the newer Order Members, some girl, had fallen. He cringed at her shrieks as she was literally consumed alive. Remus broke his reverie, " There's nothing we can do for Isilde! Keep running!"

Sirius did as he was told, but couldn't help but feel a slight ping for the girl. She had only been fifteen, and had joined because Death Eaters had killed her family. Lupin slammed the door behind them, " Sirius! You can't let death and pain distract you! You told me yourself! You have a mission to fulfill, and you must perform!"

Sirius nodded, " Well, this is it."

They looked at the massive doors standing before them. But more importantly, about ten men stood between them and the way. One of them, was a man Sirius and Remus knew all too well. Standing in his rat glory, was Peter Pettigrew. He was carrying a multitude of potions and flasks upon his person, strapped all over his suit. For once, Peter didn't look like a mouse. He looked like a rabid rat.

Peter sneered at Sirius, " Padfoot, so nice of you to join us. The Dark Lord has expressed that he wishes his battle with Potter to be private. To get in, you will have to go through me and the others."

Sirius sneered back, " Well, that shouldn't be too hard, Wormtail. After all, you always were the weakest of all of us.."

Peter grabbed a potion from one of his three belts, " Not anymore."

Remus smirked in a way that Sirius had never seen before, " Is that a challenge, Peter?"

" You damn fucking right it is, Remus. And I won't back down. No more running for me."

Sirius' smile curled even wider, " Excellent. To the Death then."

" To the death"

With that, curses started flying. Sirius leapt over a Killing curse originating from Macnair. He saw Lenore finish him quickly, muttering something about payback. Sirius laughed as he faced down Jugson. He twirled in place, allowing the Killing curse to breeze by him, before lashing out with a Fire whip. He seared the skin off of Jugson's face, blasting right through the mask. He twirled it again, and brought it slamming down, generating a small explosion. Jugson didn't last long. He went down in a hail of fire.

Bellatrix got saddled with both her former husband, Rodolphus, and his brother, Rebastian. Luckily, not being in the Death Eaters anymore had done some good for her overall skill, whereas before, she generally had relied on power.

Lupin was fighting Fenrir Greybeck in an epic one on one. Suddenly, Greybeck held up a palm. He shouted, " Lupin, let us fight the way we were meant to fight."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, " And how is that?"

Greybeck threw a vial of silver liquid to him, " That's called Wolf's Revival. It'll allow you to transform at will and keep our minds. I can already do it. Gulp it, and let us battle."

Remus smirked, " Done,", and flipped the cork out. He drowned it in one shot. He felt a slight burning sensation, similar to that of when he transformed, and saw that Greyback had already transformed. Remus smirked as he underwent the transformation.

Sirius yelled in triumph as he brought another Death Eater down. Now, there were only five remaining. He rushed over, and took out Rebastian, making it easier for Bella. Then he spun around, and found himself face to face with Peter. Sirius said, " It is time Peter."

" So it is, Sirius. So it is."

Sirius jumped back to avoid a blasting hex. He shouted, " Expulso!"

Peter flew back, but landed on his feet. He grabbed one of his potions, lit a fuse, and hurled it at Sirius like a Molotov cocktail. It exploded when it hit the ground, leaving puddles of flaming acid that ate into the stone itself. Sirius yelled, " That's not good enough Peter,", before firing a fireball at him. Peter dodged, showing increased athleticism, and fired back with a block of ice. Sirius melted the ice just before it could hit him with incendio, and set a wall of fire around Peter.

Peter just laughed, and began to throw his potion grenades again. Sirius noticed that the acid didn't go away, and he had a bad feeling about stepping in it. So the acid bombs were really starting to limit his mobility. He cursed when some of it burned through his robes. Again, he noticed that while he felt the pain, it did no damage.

Sirius smirked as he began a relentless advance on Peter. Peter whipped out a dagger, and embraced the advance. Sirius and Wormtail ducked and weaved beneath each other's attacks, narrowly avoiding close range curses. Wormtail smirked as he fired a blasting hex at the ground beneath Sirius, blasting him backward. Sirius landed on his back, but flipped over and jumped to his feet.

Sirius jeered, " So you've gotten better Wormtail. What's Lord Mold been teaching you?"

Wormtail grunted in anger, and fired an over powered stunner at Sirius, which he parried with Protego, and sent back with greater power. Sirius cursed as more hexes came his way, and Peter threw a larger vial onto the ground. Large clouds of green smoke billowed forth, hiding the rat. Sirius ran out of the smoke, and fired a banishing curse at the cloud, sending it out of the window. Peter shouted, " Lumos Maximus!"

Sirius grunted as he failed to shield his eyes in time. He rubbed them furiously, and felt something with really rough fur tackle him. He forced his weeping eyes open, and saw that Peter's Animagus form had changed slightly. He wasn't a normal rat anymore. He was a Giant rat, flesh eaters that parents used to threaten kids with when they made a mess. Sirius' faced flushed with fury as the rat jumped him, and clamped down on his left hand. He felt poison entering his veins. That wasn't good.

Sirius reared back, and punched rat, knocking it off of him. He shouted, " Well, if you want to play like this Peter, you should have just said something!"

Sirius smiled as he turned into his Animagus form of a White Grim. He growled angrily, and leapt at the rat.

Hermione watched as Sirius transformed into his animagus form, and launched after the giant rat. She had already defeated her opponent of Macnair, he had been overrated to say the least. She saw the silver werewolf of Remus Lupin slash Greybeck, causing his fur to run red with blood. She cheered as Lupin threw Fenrir down, and latched onto Greybeck's neck. With a triumphant roar, he ripped it clean off.

Lupin turned to go aide Sirius, but Hermione shouted, " Moony! Wait! Don't!"

The wolf looked at her, and Lupin went back into human, with a disgruntled scowl on his face. Hermione answered, " Sirius has waited a long time to finally fight Peter and put him in his place. Let him."

Lupin nodded. Sirius pounced on the giant rat, which fought back impressively well. The rat slashed with razor sharp claws that made Lupin's Werewolf ones look dull. They tore through flesh easily, but everyone, especially the rat, was surprised to see how quickly Sirius healed.

Then it happened. Sirius was able to latch onto the rat, and began to tear. He ripped into the back of the rat, pulling flesh and finally, the rat fell with a curdling scream. He would move again, in fact, he didn't even revert back to normal after death. Sirius spat on the rat when he reverted back. He turned to Lupin and Hermione,, " Guess we got them all?"

Guillaume limped up, " I got hit by a bone breaker in my leg, and Lenore's has some bad gashes, but that's about all as the injuries go. Now what?"

Sirius turned to the massive doors, " I go alone now."

Lupin rose up, but Sirius cut him down, " No. I've never told any of you, but do you know the reason I came back?"

Lupin frowned, " No, but I always wondered when you would tell us."

" Harry summoned me from the Veil while he was being arrested. He didn't mean to, but he did. Now, I must make good on my oath to everyone else that I would help him win. That is the reason I've granted the abilities I have. The reason my Animagus form changed. My soul wasn't the only one that came back."

Lupin raised an eyebrow, " Oh really? And who came back?"

Sirius held up two fingers, " Two actually. Death ordered that someone had to go back to make sure I followed the oaths I had sworn. Maria and Lily sacrificed small pieces of their souls for me to return. I didn't know this, but did you know that Lily's animagus form was a large snowy owl?"

Lupin frowned, ignoring the gasps coming from everyone else, " I didn't even know she had a form."

Sirius smirked slightly, " James taught her. He thought it would help her in the event that he couldn't. He was rather upset that she hadn't thought of it when Voldemort attacked the Potters. As you recall, there were three windows to Harry's nursery, and she could have easily carried Harry with her talons."

Hermione gasped, " You-you mean that Harry had to spend all of that time with his horrible Aunt and Uncle because his mother forgot to think?"

Sirius frowned, " Unfortunately, it was kind of a Catch 22 thing. If she hadn't died and Harry hadn't have rebounded the killing curse on Voldemort, who's to say the Wizarding World even exists? You know, Dumbledore may have been a real bitch, but sometimes his whole ' The Good of the Many VS The Good of the Few' argument has some good grounds."

Everyone looked at each other. Sirius continued, " I figured out something as soon as I got back. I'm kind of like Gandalf from Lord of the Rings right now. Until I finish my task, I can't die. But as soon as I finish it, then I'll fade away like I had never been here. "

Lupin commented, " But that doesn't mean you have to go it alone from here on out."

Sirius chuckled, " You know how much you sound like Hermione and Ron whenever Harry decided to go all Moody on us back before Fifth Year? Well, you know that old piece of shit prophecy? Some of it is true. Only Harry can beat Voldemort, though only because Harry's powerful enough to do it. But he needs someone to clear out whatever Volde has set up for him. That's where I come in. And I don't want one of you to pointlessly die fighting Voldemort. I figured that if I can't die until Harry's won, then I best use it. So, without further ado, I must bid all of you farewell."

Lupin smiled, " I mean this in good faith Sirius, but…It sure has been nice knowing you."

Sirius grasped Moony's hand in a full handshake, " I could say the same to you, Remus Lupin. God only knows what our lives would be like if me, you, James, and Peter hadn't met up."

Lupin nodded, and Sirius turned to the doors. He took a deep breath, and pulled the small lever to open the doors. They opened very slightly, and Sirius snuck through. Lupin blinked slightly. Hermione muttered, " That's it isn't it?"

Lupin breathed out, " Yeah. We're never going to see Sirius again. You got that paper he had us all sign?"

Hermione pulled it out, and at the top it read as following:

" _ The Kingdom of the Marauders is Inhabited by the Following:_

_1 Lord Marauder Sirius Orion Black_

_2 Lord Marauder Remus John Lupin….."_

The list went on and on with all the people who had been members of the Black Order, until at the very bottom, was:

"_99. Heir Apparent Lord Harry James Potter Errant Son of Prongs."_

Lupin grabbed it, and began to perform complicated charms on it. He commented, " Help me with this Hermione, Guillaume. I'll tell you the charms, and you'll help me perform them."

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( Harry)

Harry cursed as he rolled behind a statue to avoid the acid. He frowned when the statue began to melt from the spittle. Harry was running out of speed. Soon, he would have to face it. The Wyrm lurched out, getting in easy reach of his sword. He slashed down, and angry looking brown blood seeped out. There were now hundreds of such wounds all over the wyrm, but it kept coming. Like blood loss didn't faze it.

Harry fired three cutting curses at three separate areas. Brown blood burst forth, but the Wrym continued to harass him. It's advances were relentless. Harry cursed in his mind, but thanked God that the Throne Room wasn't wide enough for the monster to swing its tail at him like most other serpents liked to do to him. That's when the doors opened.

Everyone halted, even the snake. At the entrance to the throne room, stood Sirius Black. He waved at Harry, and glared at Voldemort. He shouted, " Harry, leave this monster to me. Go after Voldemort. Here, have a drink of this."

Harry caught a vial of golden liquid, and a second vial of blue liquid that came after it. Felix Felicis and a Strength replinisher. He drank both in one gulp. He walked up to the throne, and said, " You ready to finish this Tom?"

Voldemort laughed, " Damn right I am Potter. I've had enough of this charade of a war me and you've been fighting for the last twenty damn years."

" Really? Me too! Unlike you, I have three wives I would like to have kids with."

Voldemort chortled, " I remember when I was like you, Potter. You probably didn't know, but I was married once. For about a year, and then one of my followers killed her. His death was….long and painful."

Harry chuckled in surprise, he hadn't known that, " Charming, Tom. "

Voldemort smirked, " We aren't that different you and I. Bad childhoods, rejections, forced to do things we didn't want to. But we have taken very different paths to this day. I will advise you this once Harry, Young Serpent. The Road to corruption is paved with small steps, and the Road to Hell is built on good intentions."

Harry yawned, " Didn't think you were a romantic there Tommy Boy. "

Voldemort laughed, " I'm dead serious."

Sirius shouted off in the distance, " No! I'm Sirius!"

Voldemort frowned slightly, " Well, young serpent? Are we ready for this Battle that shall change the world?"

Harry nodded. Voldemort solemnly said, " Then we shall bow like lords of old."

Harry bowed to Voldemort, surprised he wasn't attacked. They walked ten paces away from each other, and then it began.

Oddly, Voldemort opened off with Harry's old Tradition, an Expelliarmus. Harry ducked beneath the high charm, and sent one back, but it was accompanied by three Stunners and an Avada Kedavra. Voldemort jeered when he summoned a large rock to block, " Getting serious already there, young serpent?"

Harry snorted as he dodged a cutter, a blood boiler, and a shattering curse. _Expelliarmus, Stupefy, Avada Kedavra, Vertigo, Augue, Gelu Iaculis, Confringo, Flamma Iaculis, _ were all spells he sent back in the about a minute. Harry began chaining his spells together, using flashes of light to try and blind Voldemort. He rolled aside to avoid a blasting hex. He jumped over a Crucio, he summoned statues to block Killing Curses. But he couldn't get close enough to hit him with the sword, nor was he able to break through Voldemort's significant defenses.

Harry continued to fire curses and jinxes at will, spraying and praying. He called upon his power as a Soul and Spirit mage. He felt vigor flow back through his veins. He tossed the sword down. He smirked as he conjured a pillar of fire right under Voldemort, but the Dark Lord was able to step aside. Voldemort hissed, " I wondered when I might start to see some Soulfire. Bring it on!"

Harry gritted his teeth, but kept his relentless barrage of Soulfire tinged spells on. Small spells now blasted large holes in the walls. Weak curses were now potentially lethal. Like a high paced, high risk game of cards. Harry blasted Voldemort with a bolt of lightning, but he shrugged it off.

Harry shouted, " Spiritum Reddat!"

The Dark Lord laughed as he took the Soul Renderer right in the chest, " My soul is so fragmented now, that you can't sever it any further!"

Harry cursed as his most powerful weapons came from the rending of the soul. But one floated to his mind. He smiled, " Voldemort, you've never heard of this spell, but I want you to know. I saved it just for you."

Voldemort smirked, " And what's that?"

Harry put both hands on his Diamond wand, and jeered, " Starfall."

Harry had always thought the motions for the spell to be stupid, involving a twirl above the head, and then two slashes to the left, three for the right, and finally jabbing at the enemy, with the incantation coming at the very end, but it would be worth it. Plus the look on Voldemort's face was priceless as he watched Harry go through the motions.

Then, Harry finished the final motion and shouted, "Star Cadunt!"

Large clusters of light began to fall on the battlefield around Voldemort, who looked rather impressed at the spell, and a tad scarred as well. He dodged the falling stars easily, but found that he couldn't block them, only lessen the effects of the attack.

Fire began to dot the throne room, and craters began to emerge from the falling beams of light. Harry finished it off, by using the Light beam spell that Dumbledore used on Cheval. Harry thrust his wand forward, and a large beam of light shot forth. The Dark Lord was caught between two falling stars and the beam, and took the beam head on.

Harry began to breathe heavily after the attack. But when the smoke cleared, the Dark Lord stood with only minimal damage. He smirked, " Well done Potter! I'm impressed you could learn magic like that."

Harry continued his barrage, and was aware that even his considerable magic reserves were being depleted. His core's regeneration wasn't able to keep up with his usage. He began to feel even more fatigued than before, but it seemed like his very soul was beginning to tire out. His spells began to falter, and his magic began to grow weaker.

But the Dark Lord just kept coming. He was hardly breathing hard when Harry was panting heavily. Harry knew that sooner or later, his luck potion wasn't going to help him. Like right now!

_AVADA KEDAVRA!_

Harry tried to move, but he just couldn't. His legs gave out, and the spell hit him full on in the face. He saw black.

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( Somewhere out there)

Harry woke up staring at a white ceiling. He got up groggily, and looked around. There was a person standing there looking at him. He held his hand out, " Hey Nameless Master."

Harry gapped, " Gaxkang?"

The "Daemon", smiled, " Not exactly. That's not my real name you know. I'm not a daemon either. I think you know who I really am."

Harry looked at the "Daemon" slightly, before it hit him. Gaxkang smiled, " You know don't you?"

" Yeah. Surprising, but alright."

Gaxkang lifted his head and shook his long brown hair, " Let's go meet your parents then Harry."

Harry followed Gaxkang further into the room that slowly turned into King's Cross. A woman with red hair and a man with hair exactly like his greeted him, " Hey son."

Harry smiled, " Hi mum, dad. Who else is here?"

A woman spoke up, " I am."

Harry said, " You must be Maria Davis."

" I only wish it were Maria Black."

Harry laughed, " But if you'd married Sirius, then I couldn't have married Tracey. She may not have liked me at first, but she's really come on strong."

Maria laughed a little. The next person was Moody, " They got me Potter. I'm slightly ashamed."

" Don't be. You died like a hero and went out in that Blaze of Glory you said you wanted to. You'll be remembered as a hero. How was everyone else?"

Mad-Eye chuckled, " Ron was a force of nature out there, Snape took down the Necromancer that created all those goddamn Inferi and Liches, Ginny took out Draco Malfoy at the end. That's all I remember. But since they ain't here, they ain't dead yet."

Harry went serious, " When should I return?"

Gaxkang commented , " Very soon, to keep Sirius' oaths from destroying him. I've possessed your body for now, and am fighting for you, but you should returne in say, ten minutes at most."

Harry nodded, " Well, I can say hi to Dumbledore!"

The old man frowned, " Damn you Harry, you just had to fuck everything up didn't you?"

" As I recall, it is YOU who fucked everything up. What's the big idea about trying to chuck me in Azkaban? I didn't even cast the curse right! That's only a minimal fine! Not jail time. And what's the big idea with trying to kill Lenore? You should have known better! You should have just allied yourself with Sirius and taken out Voldemort together! Just know, that up until that point, if you and Sirius had defeated Voldemort, I would have been more than content to just live my life in France, and never bothered you again."

Dumbledore frowned, " The ramblings of a senile, delirious, old man should sometimes be ignored. I make mistakes, and they tend to be bigger than ordinary men's."

Harry turned to Nymphadora Tonks, " How did you die?"

Tonks smiled slightly, " Remus killed me. He got me at the battle. One on one too, so couldn't even die with pride. He beat the piss out of me, made me look like a fool right in front of my mother. But I made a bad choice. I went with Dumbledore when I should have gone with family. But I guess I'll spend eternity jealous of Narcissa and Bella, never thought I would say that."

Harry laughed, " Well, at least a little bit of your sense of humor is still there. Is McGonagall here?"

The Scottish witch spoke up, " Yes, Mr. Potter."

" I would like to say that I'm sorry for all that happened. At least a little. Too many students, and too many teachers died in that battle. "

McGonagall nodded, " Apology accepted, Harry."

Gaxkang shouted, " Hurry up Harry! If you don't then my possession will begin to form changes on your body!"

Harry turned back, " Well, I'll be seeing you all again someday."

Dumbledore and the others smiled, " Good, you understand how Death is truly the Gift of Man."

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( Real Life)

Harry blinked back in just as Gaxkang had urged his body closer to Voldemort. He quickly regained his bearings. He sent to Gaxkang, "_**If we merge, we can take him!"**_

_** " You're right. Let's hope those crystals of yours can hold these emotions!"**_

__Voldemort chuckled as Harry bent over in pain. He jeered, " Come now, little Serpent! You can do better than this!"

He flinched when Harry looked back up at him with eyes of steel, " It is you who should be doing better than this!"

Voldemort barely had time to react as Harry flung himself at Voldemort. Harry swung the Sword of Gryffindor, and sliced off Voldemort's left arm. He hissed, " Damn you Potter! I'm going to have to kill you for this."

" You? Kill me? Ha! Dream on Dark Bastard!"

Harry laughed as he dodged Voldemort's last furious attacks. He ducked beneath several Unforgivables, before jumping forward, and thrusting the sword into Voldemort's chest. Harry wrenched the blade free, and swung hard. The snake like head of Voldemort rolled off the throne platform.

In the background, Harry heard a deafening scream. The Death Wyrm began to shrivel up and caught fire. Sirius shouted, " Throw me the sword!"

Harry smiled, and threw the blade as hard as he could. Sirius ran towards the rotating blade, caught it deftly by the hilt, and slammed it down for the killing thrust. The pale green light of the monster's eyes dimmed and finally vanished. Harry noticed that Gaxkang was keeping him standing. He sank down on the Dark Throne, and began to breathe heavily. It was over. Voldemort was dead. Forever. Harry sighed out, " I recall the daemons and spirits back into the plains where they belong."

Suddenly, the throne began to gleam white, and a pillar of grey light shot forth from it.

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( Outside)

Martin Weasley walked at the forefront of the Aurors who had arrived and finished subduing the Death Eaters, though the Daemons and Spirits wouldn't let them into the Fortress. That's when a sudden flash of light got his attention.

All the daemons that held form were silently shouting something that sounded like thank you, and began to enter portals back to wherever they were from. The abominations began to heal themselves. Some of the victims began to awaken, startling the French and German Aurors.

Dean Thomas got up groggily, " Bloody hell! Where the fuck am I? What happened?"

Martin whispered, " Don't worry, sir. The worst is past, and you can only get better from here."

The Viscount continued his walk around the large medical camp set up just outside of the Tower. He looked up, and noticed that the Tower was suddenly glittering white, like a symbol of hope, rather than black as it had once been. He came across his distant cousins. Fred and George were fine, just a few scratches to their names. But Ginny and Ron especially, were worse off. Both of Ginny's legs had been completely crushed, and there was doubt that even magic could heal them completely. Ron was a dead man lying. His bones had been shattered rather violently, and it was only his foolish will to live that kept him alive. Four empty bottles of pain relievers sat on the side of his makeshift bed.

Martin asked, " Cousin, why do you cling so hopelessly to life?"

Ron sputtered, " M-M-Martin? W-w-why are you here?"

Martin smiled gently, " Zats how you thank ze man who saved your asses?"

" Heh. I guess. Didn't do me much good. Ginny might never walk again. Moody's dead. S-S-sorry Martin, but we couldn't…"

Martin looked sadly at the covered bed to his right, trademark Weasley hair rolling off the sides. You couldn't tell who it was under the sheet, but the angle of the person's neck couldn't sustain life. If anything, it was a miracle it was even still attached. Martin looked at Ron, " We've had our disputes, cousin, but I think that I shall make an honest attempt for our families to get close again. I…just think it is a shame that the one person in MY family who wanted it to happen the most…won't see it."

Ron chuckled weakly, " Don't worry too much, Martin. A wise man once told me that we shouldn't mourn the dead. We should celebrate them by living on. He said, ' Mourn not the dead, rather, celebrate their sacrifice by living on.' "

Martin smiled sadly, " Is that so?"

" Yeah."

Martin looked at the other bed again, " One question, Ron. How'd she die?"

Ron grimaced, " Do you want the truth?"

" The Truth is better than some lie."

Ron frowned slightly, " She didn't stand a chance. Death Eaters got her quick. I saw it. One of them hit her with a boulder of some sort. It wrenched her neck almost 180 degrees. She died before she hit the ground."

" At least she didn't feel anything. "

Ron muttered, " More than I can say."

" You certain you going to die?"

Ron laughed, though it hurt, " Hell yeah. Every bone in my body is broken except my skull. I can't move anything below my neck. Heck, it's a miracle I've lived this long. I have one final wish though."

Martin looked thoughtful. He looked back at his sister's dead body, and then back to Ron, " Name it."

" What?"

" You heard me, name your request, and I will make it happen."

Ron took a deep breath, " I want to see Harry and Hermione one last time. They're in the Tower. Think you can get me there?"

Martin called a couple of Aurors to help him, and he levitated the bed, " Consider it reparation for all those years of poverty. Let's go. Bring Fleur along too, Flitwick said her mother was part of the strike force."

A/N: Next Chapter: Dancing in the Dark.

Yes, After Harry's victory, all those he used as hosts were freed.

And yes, the reason this story is called Lord of the Marauders has finally been revealed.

Just a warning: I've got a couple of surprises left for you.


	16. Chapter 16 Dancing in the Dark

Chapter 15 Dancing in the Dark

A/N: Alright guys, this is it. Only the Epilogue after this.

Harry sat on that now Light Throne for a few minutes, when Sirius walked up. Sirius smiled softly at Harry, " You know it's time."

Harry sighed, " I know, but that doesn't make it any damn easier Sirius. You want me to go get the others?"

Sirius shook his head, " I already said my good-byes to them. They know, and let's leave it at that."

Harry smirked, " Alright, let's get ready for this."

Harry turned to the throne, and began to mutter a chant in an ancient language. A small slit of light began to form right in front of it. Soon, that slit became a large gash, and soon it became a rift. Ethereal energy seeped out, and the fabric of reality began to distort around it. Sirius looked at the rift. It was pure white.

Harry began to tear up a little, " You know, when you went through that Veil, I never thought I would see you again. And then to learn that I had inadvertantly called you back here myself. It was just…strange."

Sirius commented, " Yeah it was."

Harry looked at Sirius strangely, as his figure began to separate into three others. One was the gaunt Sirius he had known prior to the DOM. The Second was his mother, he recognized her. The Third was Maria Davis. Sirius explained, "When you called me back, Death didn't want to let me go. He'd made a contract with three wizards that they would use the items he gave them to create the Ultimate Magical Weapon of Death. Those three Wizards, known as the Peverell Brothers, used the Deathly Hallows to create the Veil of Death."

" The Veil of Death is supposed to be the ONE absolute way to die in the Magical World. If you die from the Veil, you're dead. No coming back. So Death entered into a contract with me. If I could get two people to sacrifice portions of their souls to make me whole again, then he would let me go. Your mother and my old love were more than happy to sacrifice."

Harry smirked, " So that's why Mum didn't look quite right when I saw her."

" Exactly. So I'm guessing you know who and what Gaxkang is now as well."

Harry smiled, " Yep. _**Hey Gaxkang? You can come out now. Time to go home."**_

Harry's scar began to glow and smoke. The pitch black smoke began to reform into a handsome young man in front of him. Harry laughed, " So, Tom. You helped me kill you."

Tom Marvolo Riddle sneered at the dead body of Lord Voldemort, " That…thing… isn't me. Not anymore. In fact, I don't know if he EVER was me. I think Lord Voldemort was born when Merope Gaunt decided to die rather than care for her child. They could have saved her, but she wouldn't let them."

The anger in his voice sounded a lot like the Tom Riddle from the Diary. Sirius laughed, " So, long story short is this. Harry was made into a Horcrux by Lord Voldemort. That piece of soul festered in you, eventually becoming like you. Rather than clinging to his dark ideals, it became more like you. After the Diary, more of the soul came to you, and then after Voldemort tried to 'Reclaim' his soul from the Horcruxes, more pieces joined you. The man you are seeing right now Harry. He…"

Riddle finished, " He is the man THAT was supposed to be,", he pointed at Voldemort's corpse, " I am that man. The man who was never allowed to exist not because of my muggle father, but because of my inconsiderate, pussy ass, good for nothing, Wizard of a mother. And I'm not even sure I can call her that. She could barely brew the potions that allowed for my very existence. I'm rather glad you turned out like you did Harry."

" It feels really strange to hear that from Tom Riddle,", Harry finished in a monotone. Riddle's spirit chuckled slightly, and Sirius placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. Sirius laughed one last time.

Harry looked up at him, a few tears running down his face. Sirius smiled, " Be good to yourself Harry. Oh, and give in to that girl would you? I swear I wanted to kill you a couple of times for shutting her down."

Harry smirked, " For you then Padfoot, I will."

Sirius saluted him, " Farewell Prongs Junior. Farewell, Harry James Potter. Lord of the Marauders."

With that, Sirius and Tom put their arms around each other's shoulders, and the fragments of Harry's mother and Maria Davis reached forth and grabbed the other hands of each one. Together, all four walked through the Spirit rift, and then it sealed. Harry sank back. He sobbed for a few moments, but then stood up with a new resolve. He shouted, " I will see you again, Sirius Orion Black! It was better to have known you for only a little while, than to have never known you at all!"

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( Harry again)

Harry walked out of the throne room to see Lupin and the others looking at him expectantly. He smiled, " I beat him, and he's not coming back."

Lupin smiled, " That's excellent. We can have peace now."

Lupin left off the parts about Sirius. He, instead, showed Harry the parchment, " This is the Roster of all the Members of the Order of the Blacks, which Sirius decided to call the Kingdom of the Marauders. I want you to write the preamble."

Harry sighed and picked up the pen. He wrote:

" _On this list is the names of those who dared to stand up for what they believed in. Those who dared to give up their lives in the name of freedom from manipulative old men and maniacal dark lords. These are those who chose neither Light nor Darkness. We are the Grey. We are those who represented the ordinary man who's views weren't represented in the doctrine of either the Dark or the Light. We are the Order of the Blacks, and our land is the Kingdom of the Marauders. Ours is the playground of destruction, the battlefield of the righteous and the wicked. We are the Blacks. We are the Lords of our own fate. We have chosen to live our lives as we choose. _

_ Harry J. Potter ( Lord Marauder)"_

Harry sighed as he looked at the name, knowing that some of them were now dead. He turned to see the door to the stair cases opening. Martin Weasley was leading a small crew of Aurors up, levitating a stretcher with Ron Weasley on it. Martin looked at me, answering in French, " **His dying wish is to see you and Hermione Granger again, Lord Marauder."**

** " Very well. Everyone else, go into the throne room. Heal Lenore's gashes and Guillaume's broken leg. Lupin, you go too."**

Hermione walked up, " Harry? Why are you telling them to leave?"

Harry laughed, " Didn't know you knew French there Hermione."

" I learned during my summer trip back in 5th year remember?"

" That seems so long ago Hermione."

Ron rasped, " Harry! Man, I did it. I went out in a blaze of glory."

Harry chuckled, " Standing up to hundreds of Death Eaters?"

" Yeah! It-it was awesome. Martin says he's going to work on getting our families back together and just becoming the Weasleys again."

Hermione laughed slightly, " That's nice Ron. What'll happen to you?"

" Well, I'm dying Hermione . There isn't anything they can do for me. I don't know why, but I just wanted us to be the Golden Trio one last time before I died."

Hermione and Ron looked at Harry. Harry looked lost in thought. He finally answered, " Forgotten, but not forgiven Ron. One last time. Gryffindor's Golden Boy, The Bushy Haired Know it all, and the Blood Traitor together again. Hope you die happy Ron."

Ron smiled, " At least it wasn't all in vain. Neville died out there too Harry. You should've seen it. He did better than I did. Snape took out that Necromancer from America. Shame about Simone though. She didn't get the chance to really do anything."

Harry chuckled, " At least my daemons left plenty of cover for you, otherwise you all would have died. I mean, you guys took twelve people against the remnants of an army of Death Eaters that Tom swore was a thousand men strong."

Hermione looked shocked, " Tom? As in 'I'm Lord Voldemort' Riddle?"

Harry looked at the somewhat distraught bushy haired witch, " Not exactly. You see, Voldemort still had his Horcruxes right? Well, the one in my head began to, well, be cleansed. It started to revert back to Tom Riddle, and my own ideals began to make it like me. When Voldemort performed his Soul Recollection Ritual, I ended up with more of His Soul than he had. Those souls came together to form the daemon that I used to give me the power to finally defeat Voldemort. In a sense, Voldemort was defeated by Tom Riddle."

Ron coughed, " That's great and all Harry, but could you let me…"

Harry smiled, " No need Ron. Go ahead Hermione."

With that, Harry stepped back for a moment, and Hermione gave Ron a full kiss that lasted he swore for two minutes. He was just about to ask if this was going to turn into a full snogging fest when Hermione broke away. Ron smiled to Harry, " Thanks mate. "

His eyes rolled back, and he let out a contented sigh. Thus ended the life of Ronald Bilius Weasley. Betrayer, idiot, imbecile, but in the end, lived up to being a Gryffindor. Harry at least thought that he could forget the bad parts and live on with the good. Hermione turned to Harry with a tear drop in her eye, " I still remember meeting you two on the train. Saving me from the troll. I…I still can't believe we didn't fight Dumbledore more than we did."

Harry answered back, " Let bygones be bygones, Hermione Granger. For we have lives ahead of us to live. Come, let us get the others."

Harry led Hermione into what he guessed was now HIS throne room. The corpse of the Death Wyrm had faded away, leaving nothing behind. He declared, " Let us go. We need to go back to the others."

Martin nodded, and the Black Order followed. They found Narcissa perfectly fine in the little corridor that Sirius had left her in. She was a little nervous, but cheered immediately upon hearing of the Dark Lord's death. Like everyone else, she was upset that Sirius had, for lack of a better definition, moved on.

They found Fleur and Gabrielle sobbing at the body of their mother, Apolline. She had fought Grindelwald the Lich King valiantly, but in the end, the poison of his attacks killed her. Normally, Transformed Veela were immune to poisons, but Grindelwald's corruption was so powerful that after she had slain him, it forced her back into a kind of half-transformation. Thus, the poison killed her. Fleur said that if Apolline had been able to stay in Veela Bird Form, she would have been able to ride out the poison.

Harry entered the entrance hall, and found hundreds of Aurors from France and Germany. They gave a mighty cheer, happy that a menace who could have destroyed them as well was gone. The few British Aurors among them gave even louder cheers. Harry felt pride burning in his chest. He felt soft hands on his shoulders. It was Gabrielle.

He smiled as he ran a hand through her silver hair, whispering, " Sorry about your mother."

She smiled sadly, " She died as she would have wanted to."

Another set of hands grabbed his shoulders, " Hello Harry."

It was Daphne, her golden blonde hair shimmering in the sunlight from the windows. She kissed him deeply and said, " Congratulations Harry."

Tracey was next, she jumped on top of him, and went as wild as she could before the other two could pull her off. Harry got up breathless," Thanks Tracey. Now I know where that American poster of the sailor kissing the girl comes from."

Tracey laughed, " Sod off, Harry."

Harry heard a soft voice behind him, " Room for one more?"

Harry laughed at Lenore, " Actually, I do now. Ready to join the Potter Harem?"

" Since when did we become a harem there Potter?" Daphne asked with a raised eyebrow.

Harry only smiled at her, " My godfather told me that he wanted me to finally stop being such an ass to Lenore and finally accept that I've had feelings for her ever since we met really. He told me that was the one thing he wanted me to do before his moved on."

Tracey looked a little upset, " So-So that means that Sirius is gone?"

" His time came and passed. His oath fulfilled, his task completed, it was time for him to return to the Great Adventure. I only hope he's with your Aunt right now Tracey."

Tracey smiled sadly, she'd really started to like Sirius once she got over how her family felt about him. His personality really made it hard to not like him, unless you were Snape. Speaking of Snape, he was holding the broken fragments of the Necromancer's staff as a trophy. One of the German female Aurors leaned over and gave him a hell of a kiss. Harry chuckled, " Damn, Snape finally got kissed!"

Snape heard Harry, " Sod off, Potter! Not everyone can have three wives like you!"

" Soon to be four Severus, " , Harry chanted to the old Potions Professor.

Lupin tapped him on the shoulder," Harry, we have celebration to start getting ready for."

" Is that so? Bring all the finest wines then."

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Later….

Harry was sitting when Daphne came over to him, wearing an emerald green, short skirted dress. She smiled sweetly, " Harry? You remember when I first met you in France?"

Harry remembered the day, " Yeah, why?"

" Do you have any idea how hard it was for me to keep from killing you that day? "

Harry chortled, " I'm used to death threats, my dear. "

" I'm serious Harry. Me and Blaise were really falling for each other, and then my father had to find that damn contract."

Harry looked out over the battlefield. It was truly a spectacular view from the balcony at the top of the tower. She waived at him, " Earth to Harry?"

" I heard. But it all worked out didn't it?"

She sighed as she looked up at the stars, " You could say that. Blaise was so jealous of you. I can't believe he betrayed me and Tracey."

" Well, I couldn't believe Hermione and Ron betrayed me, even if they were forced to do it. But I can understand a little."

She sat down the glass of red wine she had been sipping. She looked at him furtively. Harry asked, " What do you want Daphne?"

She stood up and wrapped her creamy white arms around his neck, " I think you know."

Harry twitched a little, " You can't start a fire without a spark. This gun's for hire, even if we're just dancing in the dark."

Daphne frowned at him, but ran with it, " Baby I just want a kiss."

Harry pressed his lips to hers, and pulled away, " Done."

Daphne frowned, " I feel like I'm just sitting around getting older. I'm dying for some action you know. I'm tired of trying to write this book. Give me just one look."

Harry smirked, " That one look is amazing."

She playfully slapped him, " Pervert."

Harry laughed, " I think my version and your version of dancing in the dark might be different."

" Not this time Potter."

Harry was surprised, "What?"

" Let's take this night to its limit Harry."

Lenore and Guillaume laughed as Daphne practically drug Harry back up to his quarters at the highest point in the tower. Lenore commented to Guillaume, " You zink zat 'Arry might be 'aving some?"

Guillaume laughed, " Definitely."

" So, since when 'ave you been dating Fleur?"

Guillaume reddened considerably, " I didn't zink you noticed zat."

" I would 'ave to be a fool not to. Even Moony said something about it."

Guillaume reddened more, " And to zink zat she was supposed to get married to zat trumped up Cursebreaker too. I laughed so hard when I found out about how she ditched his ass after Dumbledore attacked you."

" Glad I'm so loved."

Guillaume looked at his sister, " If you aren't now, zen you will be. I'm glad 'Arry finally decided to get over already having three wives and take you on. You've like him for what, going on six years now?"

Lenore blushed now, " Now, 'ow would you know about zat Guillaume?"

Daphne threw Harry onto the bed, commanding, " Get out of that shirt Potter."

" Oh, I didn't think anyone liked S &M except Sirius."

Daphne hissed, " I don't either, but I think it's time I had that first child of yours, Potter."

She loosened the straps to her dress, and it fell to the floor. Harry grinned like a Cheshire Cat, " You know, I love that you never wear anything under your dresses Daphne. I never get tired of seeing that."

Daphne hissed, " I thought we were just dancing in the dark."

" This IS dancing in the dark."

The scene fades to black….

A/N: Next Chapter: Epilogue!

"Dancing in the Dark" several of Daphne and Harry's foreplay at the end are direct quotes from Bruce Springsteen's song, as is the name of this chapter.


	17. Epilogue: Blinded By the Light

Epilogue: Blinded By the Light

" _Momma always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun. But Momma! That's where the fun is!" _Blinded by the Light, Mannford Mann's Earth Band.

" And that ends the story children,", an ancient looking werewolf said cheerfully as he closed the book. On the front, read the title of " _Lord of the Marauders."_

" But Grandpa Moony! There has to be more!" a bushy, black haired girl protested. Remus smiled, " Of course, Elaine. There's you all, and so many more. You're Harry's great granddaughter aren't you?"

Elaine bobbled up and down, " From granny Granger yes!"

Remus laughed, " I always wondered whether or not he had an affair with her or not. He never told me."

Moony looked at the horde of great-grandchildren in front of him. A couple with red hair could be seen. One was an obvious clone of Harry, just with red hair. Another had golden blonde hair. He smiled lovingly at all of them. That's when someone came in, " Sorry Grandpa Moony! We just had to go get some food."

The boy that came in was Lupin's grandson Orion, but he was old enough to be a sixth year at Hogwarts. Funnily, his girlfriend was Leliana Potter, Harry's granddaughter via Lenore. She shook her sunlight hair, smiling, " Hey grandpa Moony! Been awhile!"

Moony smiled like the senile old man he was, " Nice to see you too, Leli."

She got flustered, " I tell everyone not to call me that!"

Moony sat back in his chair and went to sleep. He was 122 years old. He died in his sleep that night. Harry's voice began to play over, oblivious to everyone else.

_" Remus John Lupin got married to both Bellatrix and Narcissa Black exactly three years after the Final Battle. His first two children were born the same day, though Bella's was two months premature. Bella's son was named Sirius Alastor Lupin, and Narcissa's was named John Theodore Lupin. His favorite nickname was Teddy. Sirius Lupin had three children, but died in a tragic broom accident when he was just 32 years old. John had four children, and still lives. He is 72._

_ " Fleur Delacour and Guillaume Royeaux got married two weeks after the war ended. Fleur had seven sons and three daughters. There are now even fewer families in France that can say they don't have a Royeaux ancestor. Fleur continued her career at Gringotts after the war, and became the Arithmancy teacher at Hogwarts. She died at the age of 121._

_ Guillaume continued to forge his legacy by helping make certain aspects of Blood Magic Legal. He was awarded several honors, and was French Minister for forty years before resigning. He's the only man to ever win an election uncontested in Magic France's history. He resigned and became the Charms and Dueling teacher at Hogwarts. He died at age 141_

_ Hermione Granger had a hushed affair with me when she was 26. That son, named Christopher Granger went on to marry the eldest daughter of Fleur and Guillaume. Hermione got married to Fred Weasley when she was 42, and had two more children after that. Hermione died of a heart attack at age 87. Fred never recovered and died shortly thereafter at age 89._

_ Martin Weasley got married to Susan Bones. She bore him one son and one daughter. He and the British Weasleys rebuilt the family, but he was always sad that his sister, Simone, didn't live to see it. He died at age 101, of congestive heart failure._

_ George Weasley got married to Alicia Spinnet, and had four children. He lived fifty years longer than his brother._

_ Narcissa Black and Bella Black both died on the same day, August 19th, Sirius Black's birthday, but not until after they had lived to be 132, outliving Moony by ten years._

_ Ginny Weasley recovered her ability to walk, and had a quiet affair with me . Her son was born as Ronald James Weasley, and looked just like me , except that he had Weasley red hair. She got married to Dean Thomas three years after that. She only had one more child, a daughter. She died at age 104, of a stroke._

_ Kingsley Shacklebolt became the British Minister of Magic after the war. The stress from the job probably contributed to his early death at age 73, but he married an Unspeakable and had four kids._

_ Lenore Royeaux became the fourth Potter Wife less than a year after the war. Lenore was able to produce two sons and two daughters, but died at a younger age of 63 due to complications in a surgery she was having. She and I won the World Cup for France after the war ended. Her defining moment was putting the game winning goal in at her third World cup, twelve years later. Her youngest daughter, Leona, married the Viscount Weasley's oldest. Her eldest, Luxanna, married Antonio Creevey, oldest son of Colin. That line produced Leliana._

_ Tracey Davis only had one son. She died in childbirth at the age of 29. I was rather upset about her death, and it took me a few years to get over it. At the time, she was working as a Goblin Liaison. She was projected to be head of the Department in three years._

_ Gabrielle Delacour grew closer to me, almost as close as Daphne there at the end, when she died at age 131. She gave me the most children, five, with a fairly even split of three girls, and two boys. To our shock, both boys had the ability to use the Veela Aura. They were the first Male Veela of any kind in over a thousand years. My bloodline's so awesome isn't it?_

_ Daphne Greengrass was my closest confidant there after the war, and she had my first son, Sirius James Potter, when we were 22. Sirius was three years older than my next child, which was also from Daphne. For some reason, Daphne never got old, even though she gave me four children. She aged well, unlike Lenore, who still clung to a little of her beauty, but wasn't as impressive as she had been. Funnily, though all my other wives are dead from one thing or another, me and Daphne are still alive. Like of all of them, she was the only one that was truly meant for me to marry. It's kind of strange. All of my children from Daphne were born with the ability of Soul Magic, and my youngest daughter, named Katherine, is thought to be even more powerful than I was!_

_ Harry James Potter: Well, here I am. I refounded Hogwarts as soon as I got back to Britain. I abolished the House System, feeling that it caused too much strife. This didn't go over well, but who cares? I was given several honors, such as Order of Merlin, and was elected to Chief Warlock, until I resigned after twenty years. I then, became Minister of Magic for another twenty years after Kingsley resigned. Germany commissioned Nurmengard to be mine and an independent city state, kind of like the Vatican. I named it ' Kingdom of the Marauders: Where Pranks Never Die.' Sirius would be so proud. My White Tower stands above a rather bustling city of wizards now though. It sort of became a pilgrimage spot for Wizards of all kinds. _

_ I became Headmaster of Hogwarts after I resigned as Minister. I hired those few of my friends who were still alive. That's how I lived my life out really. I had several Monuments built all over the place, and in the City of Nurmengard, there is a Victory Museum. Outside, there is a giant statue of Sirius standing giving his ' For a Better Future!' speech. I learned of that later, and Hermione had the Goblins build it on the exact spot he gave it. The Statue is enchanted so that it looks like Sirius is really alive. There are more statues, like there's a line of statues leading up to the Museum. Ron's the first one you see. _

_ At Hogwarts, there is a statue of me and Varrac leading the ballistae of the Dwarves into battle. There's a statue of Cheval standing over Dumbledore, but with Neville sneaking up behind him. Yeah, all those monuments are great._

_ There is one, however, that stirs me the most. It isn't in Nurmengard. It isn't at Hogwarts. It's in Godric's Hollow. It is a giant statue, massive it is. It has the faces of every Black Order Member there was. Me, Sirius, and Remus are at the front. I'm holding a sword, only that the blade is actually made of Gubraithian fire, so it never burns out. At the very bottom, the words as follows are written:_

_**'Life: Live it as you choose.'**_

___On the back you can read the speech that Sirius gave, and the little preamble I wrote on the Kingdom of the Marauders Roster. Turns out that Remus, Hermione, and the others enchanted that, so that every time someone is added to the Order, the list automatically updates. _

_ Well, my time is running out. I've lived abnormally long, like my magic has kept me alive only because my continued existence does the world good. I hear Daphne calling…."_

_25-435-23-462-6-456-57-567-6-8-48-6-86-678-67-8567-95-0679-567-9567-86-875-678-567-856-785-678-5\_

_( 321 Years After the Final Battle)_

Harry wheezed on his chair. He asked his wife, Daphne, " You ready my dear?"

She smiled, " Yes Harry. It is time."

A small rift began to open above them, and Sirius walked out. He smiled, " Well there Harry! You look old!"

" Don't remind me."

Sirius extended a hand, " Harry. It's time to go to God. Anything you want?"

Harry grabbed his Phoenix wand and his other two, " Yes Sirius. I do want something."

Sirius asked, " And what's that Harry?"

" My white plume."

A/N : Well everyone it's been great. Sometimes I really struggled with this story, I really did. But these last four chapters really just sort of came to me, so I posted them all at the same time. I thank you for your time, and people who were a fan of this should keep an eye out for a new story soon. It's called " **Wizard's Third War"** a Post DH/No Epilogue story in kind of the same vein as this one. Now, I bid you all ado and much like on the road to life.


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